Feathered: Betrayal
by wickedwings
Summary: Skye is back, with a new set of problems. When an Eraser offers Skye something she can't refuse, she is torn. Give into her selfish desires and risk her new friend's lives? Or live the rest of her life in pain? Sequel to Feathered: Escape. Faxness
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! I'm new to I've actually started my FFs here because the MaxRide boards are down. (: This is a sequel to another short FF that I had on the boards, and if you haven't read the first one, I'm really sorry, I'll get it up after I get up the chapters for F:B. Review please! (: Thanks for reading.

OH! And here's a key:

-+- later on

\/ POV change

start/end of dream sequence

**PROLOGUE:**

"We must get her back!" Jeb said coldly.

"Now that her friend is out of the way, it should be easy to gain her trust." said another voice.

"One of our own killed her friend! How do you expect her to trust us?!" Jeb exclaimed, frustrated.

"I have my ideas..." came the other voice, a hint of a cold smile lacing his vocals, "Greg! Come, we have a job for you..." 

**Chapter 1: The Message **

It had been a whole six months since Arcane died. Skye could hardly believe she had lasted half a year without her best friend. But then again, she had the falcon. She still hadn't made direct contact with the falcon's mind, she wasn't skilled enough to, but whenever the falcon did or screeched something, Skye instantly knew its intended meaning. New ability? She couldn't tell. Talk about creepy though. But it's not like she could complain, the falcon had kept her company throughout the harsh winter months. Now the pair were going to the outskirts of Washington D.C., to meet up with Max and the Flock. Goosebumps sprang up along Skye's bare arms as night crept nearer, but she and the falcon, who she had named Dark, kept going. They were almost there anyway, Skye could even see the red lights that glowed atop the Washington Monument. Any minute now, and she could be back with her friends.

-+- 

She touched down lightly in the cover of some trees, Dark balancing expertly on Skye's ivory wingtip. The girl tip-toed into the clearing, the designated meeting spot. To her surprise, the clearing was empty. Skye sat on the edge of the space, content to wait.  
After awhile, Dark signaled in that weird way, saying that she needed to hunt. Skye nodded and watched the falcon take off, a splotch of ink against the maroon sky. Her attention was brought back to the clearing though as she heard a twig snap. She stood up and turned toward the noise, expecting Max and the crew to appear out of the brush. But it wasn't Max who rushed out of the trees.

It was an Eraser.

\/ 

He pinned down the girl easily, strong even in his human form. He grew his claws and fangs swiftly, but there was no need, the girl seemed frozen with shock. Greg paused for a second as he looked her over, somewhat puzzled at her reaction. She looked like an angel with her white wings and tow-head hair. She was beautiful. The girl seemed to recover her shock in that instant and snarled, rolling him over so that she now had the advantage. He growled back at her and tried to rake her arms with his claws, but she had his arms and legs pinned down.  
She was a strong angel.  
He went limp, remembering that he was here only to deliver a message, if she didn't react as planned, _then_ he was to use violence, but not before. The girl seemed confused at his action, but didn't loosen her hold.

"Whadaya want?" she spat, her bright green eyes hardening with hate. Greg returned her glare,

"I'm here to deliver a message, but I would like to give it to you standing up." he said coolly.

"Suck it up cupcake, 'cause there's no chance you're gettin' up." the girl replied. Greg's warm gold eyes glinted with fury, and just a bit of admiration. This girl was definitely not a push over.

"I'm assuming you're Skye-" she nodded, "-The Institute is offering you a deal. They have newly discovered technology, technology that can bring your friend back from the dead."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Institute**

Skye was too shocked to speak. She didn't even react when the Eraser pushed her off him and stood up, shaking his head and brushing himself down. Hope and suspicion clouded her mind. Panic and want pushed at her from all sides, making it hard for her to breathe. She opened her mouth to spit a fiery comeback in his direction, but all the could manage was;

"How?" The boy leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes alert and focused on her,

"The Institute still has DNA samples of Experiment 1927 sub-division MIND--or, Arcane as you called her. New technology allows us to take the DNA and clone it, the using growth manipulators, we can speed Arcane's aging process so that she is the approximate age as she would be now." He said, sounding as if he had practiced the speech a thousand times. Skye shifted into a more comfortable position on the ground, mulling his proposition over. The mere thought of seeing Arcane again in the flesh made her heart ache, even with Dark, it just wasn't the same. _Wait a sec..._ she thought, anger and suspicion growing, _The Institute didn't just hand out favors like this... _

"What's the catch?" Skye growled suspiciously. The boy shrugged,

"Like I know or care?" He said in a bored tone. Skye fumed silently.   
God this boy was a twit. The gave a frustrated sigh, "So are you comin' or not? The Institute is pre-tty far away, and _I'm_ the one without wings here." Skye rolled her eyes and gave a piercing whistle, making up her mind.  
Dark just wasn't gonna like it.

-+- 

Dark landed on a nearby branch minutes later, during which the boy, and Skye kept to their own thoughts. Skye quickly hid her grin at Dark's confused look (which consisted of a tilt of the head and squawk). Well wouldn't you be confused if you saw your friend standing calmly next to a live Eraser?!? Skye communicated to Dark that she had taken the Eraser hostage when he tried to sneak up on her, and that he was going to lead them to The Institute. Which wasn't the exact situation, but close enough for Skye to feel minimal guilt about not telling Dark the whole truth. Skye nodded to the boy when she was done, "We're ready."

"Well it's about time..." he muttered bitterly, and took off into the woods, Skye close at his heels, and Dark in the sky.

-+- 

The first rest that the three took was, from what Skye could tell, mid-Pennsylvania. After two hours of running, Skye and given up and taken to the sky. She wasn't surprised that the boy had only gotten tired just now, he was after all an Eraser, he was built for this kind of off-road running thing, and she was well, an experiment. The two camped in a clearing while Dark set off to hunt again. The day was just coming to and end--the clouds turning deep purples and bright pinks--when the boy got a fire going. He got out two burritos from his back pocket and handed one to her. It bothered Skye that; a) The burritos had been there, next to his butt, for quite some time, and b) That he had assumed that she would have come along with him, but she didn't muse over those facts too long.

She was too hungry.

Once Skye had taken a few bites, she took a second to check her companion out. His golden eyes stared into the fire, captivated by the dancing flames. He wasn't bad looking, but then again, most Erasers had those model looks. He managed to pull off the "sweet-and-innocent" boy look, even though he had clearly toned muscles under his tan skin. His dirty-blonde hair was spiked in all directions, giving off the impression that he had recently stuck his finger in an electrical socket. He caught her looking at him and narrowed his eyes, "What?" 

"What's your name anyway?" Skye asked him, managing to sound nonchalant. 

"Experiment 1026E of litter G." he replied, taking a huge bite out of his burrito.

"EWW! They breed you all in _LITTERS_ NOW?????" Skye squeaked, thoroughly disgusted.

"_No_, I wasn't _born_ there at all." the boy said defensively. Skye paused, then motioned for him to go on. "When I turned 15, I ran away from home, found this guy, showed me The Institute, told me I could get strong fast, BOOM, I'm an Eraser." He replied, unsheathing his claws to demonstrate. Skye noticed the hint of pain in his vocals as he spoke, even though he tried to hide it,

"You know Erasers don't live for very long..." She trailed off quietly. He shook his head,

"The newest breed, my breed, we're supposed to live up to 20 years longer than the average Eraser..." He trailed off, "But even if that wasn't so, it wouldn't matter, it's not like I have much to live for these days anyway." With that, he turned his back to her, effectively ending the conversation. Skye sighed,

"Can I ask you one more question?" Skye pleaded.

The boy shrugged, "There's no way to shut you up so, go ahead." 

Skye rolled her eyes, "What is the name you go by? 'Cause I _know_ it's not Experiment 10-whatever." The boy paused and turned to face her,

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Return**

The two set out again in silence. Skye figured conversation was no use anyway (she couldn't get _anything_ out of that kid), so she kept silent. The boy surprised her though, 

"So how did..." he paused, debating on whether to continue his sentence. Several emotions played across his features before he finally recommenced, "...your friend die?" He asked cautiously, refusing to look at her directly. Skye involuntarily stiffened at his words.

"It doesn't matter, I'm getting her back."

-+- 

It was dark on the second day of travel when the pair reached their destination. There had been minimal conversation along the way, but Skye had still learned some useful things about the boy through observation. (Who says spying is bad?) The boy had manners and ate well, which confirmed the fact that he hadn't grown up with Erasers, and he was well...nice. Skye shook her head, snorting softly, _'Never thought I'd ever say that about an Eraser...'_. At the familiar doors of the dreaded Institute, the boy stopped, 

"Stay quiet and let me do the talking--" he ordered, adding in a "please" after glimpsing Skye's scathing glare. "Look, Zach is an ass, so watch your steps around him." With that, he pushed through the entrance, walking confidently up to the receptionist, "Zach Berra, tell him I'm here." He barked, giving the girl a hard look. The receptionist nodded hastily,

"Yes Mr. Greg Sir." she squeaked, picking up a phone. The boy hissed, but Skye smiled smugly.

She now knew his name.

A few moments later, and man in his early twenties appeared. He couldn't have been more than five years older than Skye, but his ragged goatee and slicked back hair made him seem_ much _older. 

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he asked smoothly, muddy gold eyes glinting as he looked Skye up and down. He appraised her in a way that made her feel somewhat like a steak, pausing at her moderate waist and sizeable chest. Skye didn't dare flinch, hiding her sense of foreboding,

"What do you think I am? A snack?" she asked brattily, green eyes flashing dangerously. Greg made a disapproving noise and glared at her, but she ignored him.

"Actually, I'd prefer to have you as a main course." He replied, a hint of anger creeping into his polished voice. "But that's beside the point. Come, we must talk in...other places."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Catch 22**

Zach led them to a room, much like a police questioning area, complete with white walls and a steel table.  
There were no police though.  
Shame, it would have been funny to see their faces as two half-men-half-wolves and a girl with wings entered.  
Sigh.   
Three other people occupied the room, introducing themselves as Jeb, Ziet, and Violet. Ziet and Violet were both Erasers, distinguishable by the gold bands invading their irises. Violet was sturdy, but still delicate looking, one of the new types. Her dirty blonde hair was roughly the same shade as Greg's, and she was only a couple of inches taller. They could have been brother and sister, that is, if Greg had been raised in this joint. Ziet, on the other hand, was seriously buff, the kind-of-disgusting type. And his shaved skull did nothing for his appearance. He was one of the old versions.  
He would die soon.  
Zach sat Skye down in the only unoccupied seat in the room. The other was conveniently across the table from Skye, and seated in it was none other than Jeb. Greg took up his place behind Skye, and Zach seated himself on the edge of the table. Skye looked around at the Erasers, who were, in turn, looking right back at her,

"Aww! All four of these for me? Really, you flatter me too much, I'm just a little girl!" she piped, putting on the helpless-little-school-girl act, even throwing in a slight--but fake--blush. All five stared at her, confusion and surprise dominating all their features. She smiled cheerily, but then dropped the act, her face becoming blank, "So why in the hell am I here huh? What's the catch to this whole thing?" she asked straightforwardly, cold eyes directed in Jeb's direction. Jeb stared for a moment, but quickly recovered, clearing his throat and shuffling his papers. When he finally looked up at Skye, he was smiling kindly, manipulatively,

"We're not bad people Skye, we do favors." Jeb said softly. Skye snorted sarcastically,

"Yeah, yeah, cut the crap mate, you're not fooling anyone. What's the catch?" Jeb swallowed his obvious hurt and anger,

"We just want you to participate in a little experiment, _and_ report on Max and the Flock's whereabouts for awhile. The signal from Max's chip keeps getting jammed for some reason, causing her to drop off our radar for long periods of time, which, considering the fact that she's going to save the world, isn't good." Jeb rambled. Skye couldn't help it, her jaw dropped in disbelief. A little experiment? She could handle that, she had all her life. But betraying her new friends? Who had recently _saved her life?_ No, she couldn't! She started to protest, but stopped.  
She was being given the chance to have her best friend back, her sister, her guide in life, and she was about to throw it all away because of some people she barely knew?! Besides, hadn't she promised Arcane that she would do _**anything**_ to get her better? A few new friends were a small price to pay for one who you had known and loved practically your whole life. Skye's face was shadowed as she responded, her voice soft but sure,

"Okay, I'll do it..."  
_'For Arcane...for me...'_

\/ 

A pleased smile distorted Jeb's calm features. _'Good good, this is going in the right direction...'_ He thought, his delight barely containable, "Would you like to know what experiment you will be participating in?" he asked, eyeing Skye expectantly. She made a face that reflected a mix of hatred and disgust,

"Actually, I'd rather not." she replied coldly, crossing her arms over her chest. Jeb looked taken aback,

"Y-you don't w-want to know?" he sputtered, confusion written all over his face.

"What good will it do me? To know exactly what makes my body do weird things? I can already vibrate my molecules so fast that I become virtually invisible, all thanks to who-knows-what." She said flatly, leaning back in her chair to sulk.

"It's because of a parasite called Car--" Jeb began.

"See?!?! Like I _wanted_ to know that there was a parasite swimmin' around in my blood stream!" Skye cut in, throwing up her arms in disgust. Greg smirked, glancing at Jeb sideways,

"She has a good point Jeb." He interjected, a chuckle resonating deep in his chest. Jeb looked dumbstruck for a second, 

"Well...er...right this way then..." he trailed off, rising and making his way toward the door. Greg held out his hand, to help Skye out of her seat. She looked at his hand to his blank features, her eyes hardening.

She got up herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Reaction**

"Come on little girl, I don't got all day!" Zach chirped warningly, flitting around her like some sort of terrier. Skye rolled her eyes-- 

"You "don't got" very good grammer either I see."--continuing at her own pace, about five steps behind the others. Greg seemed somewhat sulky, running his hands across the corridor's walls in silence.  
Then again, he wasn't much of a solcialist.  
Skye's expression was blank as she surveyed the hallway. She would not let those painful memories resurface.

"This way." Zach barked, grabbing her shoulders and directing her left. She shrugged him off roughly, giving him her signature "you-touch-me-again-and-you-won't-have-anything-down-there-to-boast-about-anymore" glare. She had been led into a stark-white, windowless room.  
_'Oh my god...'_ she thought, panic threatening to overwhelm her, _'This was our room...'_   
She remembered the steel bed, with the uncanny dent at the end. Arcane had made that, while trying to avoid the needle the whitecoats were comming at her with. In the end though, they got her.  
They always did.  
There was the same computer, with its coffee-stained keyboard and mocking blue screen. One time Skye had used that computer, when she had been unwisely left alone uncaged. She had typed her name, then pressed enter, not really expecting much to happen. She had been suprised when the screen suddenly turned a bright white, so bright that it almost blinded her sensitive eyes. A file came up, cleaverly coded. She would have figured out the code in a couple seconds, but then a white coat caught her. That was the first time she had felt the bite of a tazer gun.  
She even saw her old cage, clearly, the white coats had chosen this room specially. The familiarity of the room unnearved her--as was probably the intention--but she didn't let it show.

_'You show weakness, they pounce...'_ Arcane had once told her, when Skye had been thrown back into her cage one day. The white coats had put her through harder tests than usual that day. She had failed, and was beaten for her incompetence. Once in her cage, Skye had immediately curled up, starting to cry. _'But I __hurt!_ she whined to Arc, cradling her broken wrist. Arcane had reached over and taken Skye's good hand, _'I know Skye, but they'll hurt you more if you cry. Besides, one day, we'll get out of here, and then __they__ will be the sorry ones...'_ Skye had sat up, wiping away her tears and smiling at her best friend. Those were the last tears she had shed for a long time. 

"Lie down!" Zach barked, jolting Skye out of her memories. Skye complied, somewhat dazed, but as they strapped her in, her pupils dialated in fear. Sudden indecision gripped her, _'Is it worth it? What if you die? Then you won't ever see anyone again...'_ her traitorous mind whispered. Skye closed her eyes, her fists clenching in the effort to force down her fear.

_'Of course it is, anything is worth not being alone...'_

\/ 

Greg watched as Skye was strapped in and prepared, an involuntary shiver running down his spine. He was an Eraser, and yet, even _he_ didn't like being experimented on. Greg had to admit, this girl definitely had some stones to be doing this on her own accord. He watched as a large needle full off brown liquid--at least it wasn't like, neon, that would have been even scarier--was unceremoniously stabbed into Skye's upper left arm. He flinched as Skye flinched, imagining what was going on inside her system now.  
Nothing good, that was for sure.  
But even as he thought this, nothing happened. Skye just looked really dazed and confused. The white coats seemed almost mournful at this reaction. A couple moments passed, without activity.  
And then it happened.  
Suddenly, Skye gasped, her back arching to an inhuman degree. Her eyes widened, and it was then that Greg could see that her pupils had completely taken over her lime green irises. She opened her mouth in shock,  
and started to scream.  
The sound wreaked havoc upon the bystander's ears, forcing some to the ground in pain. Greg clapped his hands over his own pair, growing some fur to futher muffle the piercing sound. Skye started to convulse, tearing at her bonds in vain. One brave--or incredibly stupid--white coat grappled with another liquid filled syringe, sticking it clumsily into Skye's neck. Instantly her screams stopped, and she fell back, unconscious. Everyone was silent a moment, gaping in shock at Skye's still form. Not even Zach had the guts to make a detract comment.

"Is she dead?" Ziet asked, his usual brute composure faltering. 

"No...just unconscious..." Jeb trailed off.

"That was _the most _violent reaction I've ever seen...not only to this chemical, but all of them..." Another white coat said faintly, clearly still in shock. Greg retracted his fur and uncupped his ears, staring wide-eyed at Skye's still form. 

He had to agree there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Dream**

Skye woke up dizzy.  
No, more than dizzy, horribly nauseous was a better way of describing her condition. She sat up groggily, and instantly regretted it. She found a wastebasket nearby and promptly emptied her stomach, which wasn't much.

"Here, last time you ate was two days ago." said a voice, and saltine crackers were waved by her nose. For a moment she hesitated, she a) didn't know if she could even keep the crackers down, and b) didn't know if there were any chemicals or something on them. Yeah, she hestiated, but then her stomach won out.  
She was freakin' _starving_.   
Skye grabbed the crackers, shoving them into her mouth quickly. The voice belonged to a girl, about her age. The girl had a dark-brown, semi-wavy bob that went to her shoulders, and denim-blue eyes.

"My name is Seri. You've been out for two whole days! We didn't think you were ever going to wake up, but you did! So that's good right?" she babbled, eyes sparkling. She handed Skye a glass of water, and sat back, a clipboard in hand, "Soo, how do you feel?" she asked sweetly, irises trained intently on Skye's. Skye was silent, studying this odd girl for a minute. The girl smiled, guessing what was going through Skye's mind, "I'm not a white coat, I'm an experiment. "Seri" is short for Seraphic. Greg is on break, so I was sent to watch you." She smiled at Skye's blank look. 

"Greg was in here watching me?" Skye asked tentatively. _'Stalker...'_

"Well, yeah, someone had to do it, and at the moment, you're his charge." Seri replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "So, how do you feel?" she asked again, eyes now on her clipboard. Skye grimaced,

"Like crap. More specifically, my head is pounding, I'm terribly nauseous, _and_ I ache **all over**." Skye eased back down onto the uncomfortable hospital-like bed. Uncomfortable or not, Skye could feel herself slipping back into sleep fast.  
She didn't fight it.

_Images flashed before her eyes. Arcane and Skye when they were young, playing outside in The Institute's courtyard. A flurry of black feathers. A purple eye. She heard a snarl, and a wolf, black as night with uncanny violet eyes jumped out at her, fangs flashing..._

Skye bolted upright, screaming. A white coat hurried over to calm her down--confused as h-e-double hockey sticks--but Skye wouldn't let him near. Greg heard the noise from outside the room, (who wouldn't?) and burst through the door, growing claws and fangs.  
_Big_ mistake.  
He looked around the room, but saw no assailant. Skye saw him and started to scream louder, backing up against the headboard, eyes wide with fright. Greg paused, then morphed back, rushing over to calm her down. Skye stopped screaming, but was tearing now, clutching the covers to her chin in fright. Greg stopped and started to walk slowly toward her, making what he hoped were calming noises.

"Shh, shh, it's okay..." he said softly, eyes trained on hers. When he finally reached her, he smoothed down her soft hair, continuing to make the soft comforting noises. Skye looked down at the sheets, her breathing slowing slowly. When her vitals were stable, and her heart rate down, the white coat came over,

"What happened to make you so scared?" He asked, genuine concern in his expression. Skye looked from Greg to the white coat, then down again,

"I...I had a dream. And it had an Eraser in it--" At this she looked pointedly at Greg, who grimaced in apology,"--but unlike any Eraser I had seen before. And it was just...really realistic I guess..." Embarrassment coloring her cheeks. The white coat said nothing, just wrote on his clipboard.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Protector**

Only a day later, Skye was up and being walked to the room where she had first met Jeb and Zach.

"This is the deal. This--" Jeb showed her a black button-like thing, "--is a mike. We'll sew it to a piece of your clothing. Every night, at midnight exactly, you are to pinch the sides of this--" he demonstrated, "--and tell us the exact coordinates of your location. If you're lying, we'll find out, and then you'll never see Arcane's clone. That threat also goes for if you don't complete this task every night, got it?" Jeb asked, looking over the rims of his cheap glasses. Skye seethed, but nodded,

"Just one thing, how will I know you've even _made_ the clone? And will I be able to see her?" she asked, arms crossed. Zach smirked,

"Report back here in two weeks from today. Tell your little crows that you want to visit Arcane's grave or something, but _come alone_." he snapped, full of arrogance. "Oh, and I want you to--" Zach was cut off as the door banged open. Violet stood in the threshold, glaring daggers at Zach. He smiled and went to kiss her, but she cuffed him.  
Hard.   
The slap would have ripped off any normal human's head, but Zach probably only felt a slight stinging sensation.

"You imbecile! Why did you give Shay that murder mission?!** I** wanted that mission, and you _knew_ it! You favor her don't you? Well then, I guess you can sleep in her bed tonight, because you _are not _welcome in mine!" Violet spat, backhanding him with her claws unsheathed. One final glower, and then she was gone, door slamming shut behind her. Zach stood motionless for a second, shock and rage distorting his features. Greg smiled smugly and leaned against the wall opposite Skye, shapely arms crossed. Zach composed himself quickly, his features blank as he turned back to Skye,

"I want you to report starting this Monday." he barked. Skye looked at Greg and rolled her eyes,

"Keep giving orders in that tone of voice and you'll never get a girl." she remarked, tilting her head so that she was looking at Zach at an angle. The Eraser's face reddened,

"What are you talking about? I have Violet." Skye snorted,

"Yeah, and we all know how _that's_ going..." she said sarcastically, imitating cat whiskers with her fingers to mirror Zach's scratches. Zach's eyes widened, rage boiling behind his yellow irises. He unsheathed his claws and brought his hand back, preparing to teach Skye a lesson. From out of nowhere, Greg's hand gripped Zach's forearm,

"Is this puny little girl getting to you Zach?" he asked coldly, his eyes mocking. Zach paused, the wrenched his arm out of Greg's grip, 

"Of course not, but a little violence would teach her some respect." Zach muttered, his pride obviously hurt. Skye glared at Greg for calling her puny, but silently thanked him, she didn't need any more scars. Greg returned her glare with his usual cool stare, a smile flitting across his lips. He walked out of the room, and Skye got up from her chair, to trot a few paces behind. Zach's hot breath appeared next to her ear,

"I'll get you one day, when your "protector" isn't there to help you." he hissed. Skye stopped and turned around to face him slowly, and her scathing glare stopped him too. In one swift movement she brought the heel of her hand down upon his nose, and twirled, leg sticking out. He yelped and went down on his back, cradling his bleeding nose. Skye dusted off her hands and jutted her chin out at him,

"Won't be soon I'm sure." she spat. He groaned in response, blood gushing onto his clothing. Skye smiled sweetly, "Oh, and I think your nose is broken!" she piped, turning swiftly on her heel. 

"Greg, wait up!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Planning**

Greg was waiting outside, looking cross,

"You shouldn't have done that. Zach doesn't take blows to his pride easily." He muttered, looking exceptionally frustrated with her. 

"Let him come, I'm **valuable** to The Institute, I'll be protected--" she snorted, "--if I even _need_ it, that boy went down like a--" she broke off at Greg's expression. "What?! You've never wanted to rip him a new one?!" she exclaimed, clearly skeptical. Greg sighed,

"Just because I _want_ to, doesn't mean I should. I know my place, as should you Skye." Skye placed her hands on her hips,

"My god, is that The Institute's teachings talking? Or just you?" Greg grinned,

"Institute." Skye shook her head, smile playing 'pon her lips also,

"You are so full of it." she replied. "Okay, so down to business. Question: How in the hell am I supposed to know my exact coordinates? I don't have my own little GPS screen in my head." Greg handed her a silver Razr, showing off his,

"These. They're actually upgraded with more software, can't find _these _babies in stores. ONLY use it to call me in emergencies, I'm on speed-dial." At this, Skye opened the phone and scrolled through her speed-dial screen,

"LeggomyGreggo? That's _you_?!" Skye exclaimed, giving Greg an odd look. He blushed,

"Wasn't my idea..." he mumbled, "ANYWAY, when you're fighting Erasers, you're allowed to actually beat them up in order not to blow your cover." Greg explained, features now serious. Skye did a double take,

"Wait, are you going to be there with me?!" she screeched, looking horrified. Greg raised an eyebrow,

"Don't act so happy. No...I'm not going to be right at your side, but I will be shadowing you. You'll see me from time to time, but you have to act like you don't know me." At this, Skye gave him her famous, 'No-dip-Sherlock' look. "Max and The Flock are still in D.C., it's only been 4 days since I met you so, you can say you got the dates wrong or something." He looked at his watch, and then at the darkening sky, "Well, we better set off now, stick with me until I tell you I'm breaking off--" Greg watched Skye unfurl her wings, "--HEY! We're _running_, I can't fly remember?" Greg snapped. Skye grinned, looking properly mischievous,

"Wanna feel what it's like to fly Greg?"

\/ 

God it was exhilarating.

Of course, there was that scary moment where Skye's wings got used to supporting _two_ people...but hey, even that was terrifyingly fun. The city below him shone like an over decorated Christmas tree, lights winking on and off sporadically. Air whistled through his chiseled spikes, kissing every pore on his face. The flapping took some getting used to, vaguely like the rocking of a boat at sea. Greg felt free, soaring through the empty skies. (Thank god there were no airplanes, explaining the wings would not be fun. Ever since the 9/11 attacks, NYC had been understandably twitchy. The world may never know that the World Trade Center actually housed 4 floors worth of Itex/Institute/School employees. Yeah, even the evil scientists were flustered that day.)  
He almost cried out in joy.

Almost. 

But then he remembered that he was an Eraser, and Erasers don't do silly things like that. Skye tensed, then did a full loop in the air, laughing aloud. Greg's stomach flopped about and caught in his throat as they hung for a second upside-down. His blood rushed to his head, and his adrenaline started to pound through his veins. Eh, what the hell,

"Waaahhhhhoooooooo!!!" he yelled, loving every minute of this excursion. Skye chuckled, 

"Alright, I'm getting tired, goin' down." She yelped, and plunged straight into an 85 degree angle to the ground. Greg's eyes watered, and he howled as the ground raced towards them. Skye smiled and executed a perfect landing, unhooking her arms from Greg's. The Eraser's legs buckled beneath him as soon as his feet hit solid ground, and he collapsed, laughing.

"Damn..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Best Part of Believe is the **_**Lie**_

The pair made good time. (Greg still high off his "first flight", and Skye just good-ole' plain hyper)  
It took less than a day to get to the outskirts of D.C., and it wasn't long before Greg was tapping the back of Skye's hand to tell her he was leaving. Skye smiled as she watched him attach himself to the shadows, then sped on. She was exhausted, but the thought of her friends kept her going.

\/ 

Max surveyed her Flock, all were sleeping but her. There was a small, but warm fire in the center of their camp, and most bodies clustered close enough to burn clothing. Max herself drew her arms tighter around her body, her breath forming a frosty mist before her.  
The nights were getting colder.  
Freezing or not though, Max was content just to sit here and keep watch over her "family". So much had happened lately, she was just glad that for once she wasn't being chased by Erasers or doing homework. Her only worries right now was her Flock and Skye. Ah yes, Skye. She hadn't shown up at the designated meeting place, and there were signs of a scuffle in the clearing. She was worried. Max sighed and leaned up against a tree, narrowing her eyes to slits and slowing her breathing. Like this, she gave the impression of deep sleep. Her impression was apparently too good though, because she jolted awake at the sound of a twig snapping nearby. Careful to keep still, she did a sweep of the clearing, only using her eyes.  
Nothing.   
But there it was again, this time louder. Max saw Fang and Iggy tense nearby, and she too got ready for an attack, Silence, but the wrong kind.  
The one-second-you're-safe-and-the-next-you're-eaten-alive-by-rabid-pandas kind.  
The she heard it. Slow, careful breathing to her right--

"Boo." 

Max jumped a foot in the air, a split second later throwing her attacker a punch. Her assailant grabbed her fist and hung on, doing the same to the other as Max tried her left hook. The assaulter's features were twisted into a broad smile, as if she were holding back laughter.  
Wait, wait. Max's attacker had platinum hair and lime eyes. Kind of odd for an Eras--

"SKYE!?!?!?!?!" 

\/ 

Max yelped with unsuppressed joy and flung her arms around her friend. Soon the whole flock was dog piling the new-comer. Even (gasp) Fang. When greetings were over, everyone sat calmly by the fire. Skye was surprised at how much had gone on in her absence. Fang had gone to the hospital, the Flock had gone to (shudder) school, almost been adopted, then pretty much been betrayed. Plus, Max had gone on her first date/gotten her first kiss.  
As Max recounted this, Skye saw Fang visibly twitch,

"Well, I got my first kiss too...not counting that one on the beach..." he muttered, and Max blushed,

"Yeah, that too...ANYWAY, what's gone on with you Skye?" Skye smiled, throwing up a wall around her thoughts to protect herself against Angel's prying mind,

"Well nothing really, I visited Arcane's grave before I got here, and I guess I got the dates wrong for meeting, sorry!" Ah, the power of white lies.

"Oh! Who's that guy? He's kinda hot." Angel chirped, not looking the least bit guilty as Max glared at her, figuring out rather quickly what Angel had done. _'Ahh crap...didn't get those barriers up fast enough I guess...'_ Skye thought, searching frantically for a reasonable answer to Angel's question.

"Well first Angel, I'd appreciate it if you didn't read my mind, and uhm well...his name is Greg..." too late she realized she should've made up a name, "...and uhm...he was...visiting his grandma's grave the same time I was at Arcane's! Hehe...what a coincidence eh? Hehehe...ehhh..." Skye lied, nervous thoughts bouncing around in her head. Max nodded in understanding,

"It was tough eh? The grave visiting?" Max smiled comfortingly, patting Skye on the back.

"Err, yeah...that's it..." Max had taken her stuttering all wrong, but she didn't mind the least. "Uhm guys? I need to go to the bathroom alright? Then sleep, I'm exhausted..." Everyone nodded in agreement, as Skye slipped off into the woods.

Time for day one of transmission.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Run In With Fate**

"About 40 degrees latitude by approximately negative 77 degrees longitude." Skye spat at her button/transmitter disgustedly. Jumped from the roof of the 4-story apartment building she was on, and landed gracefully in an alley. _'Some friend __**you**__ are Skye...'_ A part of her whispered, but another, stronger part answered,_ 'Just two more days...then I can see her again...'_. Skye tried unsuccessfully, to block out her fighting consciences as she walked along the neon streets of Rockville, a small city close to D.C. Max had told her--after seeing the pitiful state of her clothing--to go on a shopping spree. Good. She needed it, it was her first in months.

-+- 

Five stores and a mini-mall later, Skye's old clothing was in a dumpster behind a movie theater, and she was sporting all new attire. Two pairs of comfortable dark-wash jeans were in her bag, and another riding on her hips, with a black T-shirt--with metallic-chain decals breaking up the black plane--over it. A dark grey cami was hidden underneath, another light blue and coral-colored in her new Jansport backpack. Three other shirts were folded neatly in her bag, one nice, and two for everyday wear. Her wings were pulled in extra-tight--she hadn't found a suitable jacket yet. She rifled through her bag, debating on whether to buy more, not paying attention to where she was walking.

So it was no surprise when she crashed into someone.

Her bag went flying, clothes scattering nearby. His things too sailed through the air, and both of them landed on their rears. Skye cried out in astonishment, frozen for a moment. The boy rubbed his behind as he stood up slowly, glancing at Skye to see if she was hurt.

"Oh god, are you ok?! I wasn't paying attention..." the guy mumbled as he bent to gather her things. Skye recovered, and proceeded to scramble around, collecting _his_ things.

"Oh geez, I wasn't looking, it's my fault, oh god I'm sorry!" Skye stood up, and he did like-wise, his sandy hair out of place. "Here," Skye handed over his things and took hers, "My name's Skye, you?" his green-blue eyes lit up,

". And I'm really sorry about that, I'll have to pay attention more..." he grinned sheepishly. Skye laughed,

"Well I hope _I_ don't, that is, if I keep bumping into hot guys..." Aaron reddened slightly,

"Er..hehe, well, I'll see you around okay?" Skye smiled,

"Definitely..." Her stomach did flips as she watched him trudge home, looking back at her every now and then. Every one of his turns was met with a flirty smile, and then she too, went on her way.  
As she was flying home, she couldn't get his image out of her head, his crooked smile, swept-to-the-side blonde hair...he was gorgeous.  
And so human.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Hell Week

**Chapter 11: Hell Week**

Skye had given up.

She had hovered over his school for _hours_, watching all the little high schoolers trickle out of the building and down the steps. Seniors and Juniors popped into their cars, the base lines of their loud music drifting up to her height of 55 feet. The unlucky Freshman and Sophomores climbed grudgingly onto large yellow buses, already dreading their piles of homework.  
Skye could hear all their worries, all their fears. She could hear his name on their minds, but couldn't find _his_. It frustrated her to endless degrees.

-+-

She sat at the bus stop, head in her hands. She didn't get it:

She had waited until 11 pm, after even most of the **teachers** had gone home, and he _still_ hadn't shown up! Who stayed at a school until after 11 pm? Not him apparently, maybe he didn't come to school today, maybe he was sick...  
She hadn't allowed herself to look his phone number up, or his address.

She reasoned that finding out his High School **already** classified her as a stalker.

So there she was, exhausted after almost a full 9 hours of just flapping in place, depressed. _'It's for the better...'_ her conscience whispered, and she sighed. Her other half was right, all this involvement would just get her, and Aaron--and possibly even The Flock--into more trouble than they already were.

So she decided to drop it, fate had made a decision for her.  
_So where the hell was the bus?!_

The bench she was sitting on creaked as someone occupied the empty space beside her. She didn't look up; if it had been an Eraser, she would have been knocked out by now.

"Rough day?" the person beside her asked, concern laced in their voice. Skye let a small smile flit across her features,

"Yeah...see, there's this boy, who I'm totally crazy about, but he's not ever around. He's never where I look ya know?" the being beside her shook the bench slightly as they chuckled,

"Well, that's too bad. Maybe you just haven't been looking in the right places..." Skye shrugged and broke into a large grin,

"Well, I've found him now." She looked up and sure enough, the person on the bench was Aaron. "So, where _have_ you been eh?" Taking pleasure in teasing a human. He looked down at his feet, the tips of his ears reddening a tad,

"Well, on top of being SGA president for the whole school, this week just happens to be "Hell Week" for Drama Club..." he trailed off, his ears darkening a shade. Skye frowned a bit, cocking her head to the side in a silent inquiry. "Hell Week is when everyone stays until like, 11:30 at night to practice for the play. Opening night is on Friday, which is only four days away, so you can imagine how stressed everyone is..." he continued. "Especially me, since I'm Tech Director." he paused at her confused look, "The TD is the person who makes sure all crews are functioning properly and everything is going smoothly...you've never been in Drama Club?" He asked, an eyebrow raising in amusement. Skye shook her head.

"I uhm..." _'Don't go to school? Yeah, __not__ the best answer Skye.'_ She searched frantically in her mind for an excuse, "I uhm--I'm home-schooled?" She mumbled. Aaron shot her a sympathy glance,

"So, why _were_ you looking for me?" He asked abruptly. Skye started. _'Okok hold on, stop and think before you lose you cool and blurt out something stu--'_  
"Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtohavecoffeeorsomethingwithme."

Skye expelled the words in a jumble, blushing like crazy and hating herself for it. She never lost her cool around strangers, never.

And yet, Aaron wasn't a stranger anymore, now was he?

Aaron smiled, somehow seeming to understand her babble. "Well DUH, didn't think you'd ever ask!" He got up and saluted, saying that he needed to get home, and walked to his car. As she watched him go, she unintentionally entered his mind. His thoughts were a jumbled mix of happiness, worries, and excitement--mirroring her own.

She smiled, _'Guess fate's not done with me yet...'_

**A/N: Hey, sorry guys, this chapter got mixed up with Chapter 8 somehow. xD Thanks to Riley Manx for pointing this out! 3 R&R please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Such A Beautiful Lie**

"Skye, you have to be more careful, this could endanger--"  
"I _know_ Max, it could endanger The Flock. I know that, and I'm sorry, but...I think I love him..."  
"I was going to say, 'This could endanger The Flock and _you_'. What happened last time..."  
"Don't even go there...please..." Skye gave a pained sigh and let her head drop to her hands. "It's just...the last few dates have been...wonderful...and now he's inviting me to the play tonight. He doesn't do the cliché things I see in the movies. Well I mean, yeah, the first was coffee, but a picnic on his apartment roof? In the middle of winter?? That's different...he's different, I can tell..."  
Max sighed, then smiled at Skye, "So...what's he like?" she squealed, going into total girl-talk mode. Skye jumped right in,   
"OMG he's like, AWESOMELY HOTT. And he doesn't feel totally confident around me, I can feel when his nerves are fired up, it's really sexxy." Max and Skye laughed at this, but then Max was serious again, "You're getting stronger at sensing emotions...you should talk to Angel, find out the extent of your growing powers..." Skye nodded, now solemn,  
"Will do."

-+- 

It amazed her how nice Aaron looked in a crisp black button down and slacks.  
But what really amazed her is how such an awesome guy liked HER of all people. A girl that had to keep secrets, who couldn't tell him who she really was so that he wouldn't get hurt.  
Skye sighed.  
"What's up?" Aaron asked, looking at her worriedly. Skye grinned mischievously,  
"I just feel bad for making all the other girls jealous of me." Skye sighed again, "It must be horrible for them to see the cutest guy in school going out with a misfit." Aaron pretended to scoff indignantly,  
"I'm only cute? Well that's insulting!" he grinned, and lifted her chin with a finger, "And besides, you're not a misfit." He kissed her lightly on the lips, "You're just different from them." And he moved to kiss her again. Their lips brushed, but then he moved away, ginning evilly. Skye gaped at him, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth,  
"You little turd!" she joked, pretending to be upset. He winked and took her hand, leading her into the play.

-+- 

No, they wouldn't sit in the seats–that would be too boring. And no, they wouldn't go up to the sound and lighting booth, where Aaron was supposed to be. He would end up working instead of spending time with her.  
No, they apparently were going to watch from the catwalk.  
Which, yes, could get Aaron fired–much to Skye's distress–but hey, love made you do stupid things.  
"So, you're in love?" she asked, looking fragile. In the gloom, Aaron paused.  
"Yes, yes I am."  
Skye looked down at the floor, trying to conceal her watery eyes. He paused, and descended from the steps of the catwalk, lifting her face with his large hands. "I'm in love with you silly...no one else..." Skye sniffed, trying to stifle the flow of tears,  
"I know." she whispered, "And therein lies the problem." 

-+- 

The view was amazing.  
The sound was phenomenal.  
The lighting was--  
Ok, so this was her very first play, so it's not like she had anything to compare it to.  
And well, she didn't really follow the story.  
Mostly because she couldn't stop thinking about Aaron's words, _'I'm in love you silly...'._   
Should she tell him?  
_**'No, it would endanger the Flock, as well as him.' **_  
_'I know, but I hate lying to him.'_   
_**'You're not, you're just keeping some things from him. People do it all the time Skye. Besides, what do you think he'd do if he found out? He would freak.'**_   
_'Maybe he wouldn't...'_   
_**'Don't be stupid.'**_

-+- 

The drive back to Skye's "apartment" was quiet, but Aaron didn't seem to mind.  
Skye was still battling with her conscience.  
He pulled up to "her apartment's" front door, and turned off the engine. She could feel the waves of nervous excitement roll off him. She smiled and kissed his cheek, "I had a great time tonight, everything was really new to me." Aaron looked up and took a deep breath,  
"There's this thing that all seniors go to, and it's really big and formal...and important. It's called prom. It's a dance where everyone dresses up really nice, and and it's uhm, really fun and..." he was babbling anxiously at this point, and feeling sorry for him, Skye put a finger to his lips.  
"If you're asking me to go with you, then yes. That goes without saying." He nodded, smiling in relief. She grinned back and leaned over to kiss him. She brushed his nose, and then his upper lip. Before he could pull her in though, she backed off, and opened her door to get out. She laughed at his surprised expression and got out of the car.   
"Got you back."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Prom**

Skye stepped out of the bathroom in the hotel room they were staying in and out into the main area, where she knew The Flock was waiting with expectant gazes. Prom was an unfamiliar event to the Flock, so it was off to the library for research.  
Three sentences into the detailed description, Max had yanked Skye out of her chair, and hauled her through the door, credit card in hand. Five stores and 200 dollars later, Skye had her dress. The gown of choice was a full length, black and red halter dress. The neckline and halter straps were a vibrant red, and showed enough cleavage to make even Fang blush. Skye had been uncomfortable about that at first, but Max–in full girl-mode–had convinced her otherwise. The rest of the dress was a simple black, save a red underskirt, which was revealed as the black over-layer branched out in each direction. The back didn't fully cover Skye's wings, but Max had fixed that by buying an elegant but simple black shawl. Skye's platinum hair let down, and cascaded down her back in waves, further covering her wings.

Even Fang said she looked beautiful.

-+- 

Aaron picked her up at her "apartment"(which was actually an apartment building, but, being poor and on the run, the Flock didn't live in it), in his dark blue mini cooper, apologizing profusely for not having a limo. Skye didn't care; she barely knew what a limo was. He saw her bare neck and smiled.

"I was saving this for later but…" He reached over and opened his glove compartment. He rifled around for a bit, and finally pulled out a small velvet-covered box. Skye opened it in amazement.  
Inside was a beautiful silver chain. Upon it was a small silver wing, Skye gasped and quickly put it around her neck, knowing immediately she would never take it off.

Oh the irony.

-+- 

In a nutshell, Prom was a chaotic swirl of lights, glitter, and _really_ expensive dresses. The music was loud, the refreshments spiked–it wasn't anything like what Skye had imagined.  
In a good way.  
Aaron danced with her at every possible opportunity--and when Skye was tired, he introduced her to his friends. They seemed to like her enough, but were wary of her. She was much too new for their liking. Skye didn't mind, she was having too much fun with her date.  
And he was a good dancer.  
By 9:00 she was tired but happy, her head pleasantly buzzing. Aaron twirled her in time with the salsa number that was currently playing, and when she was back in her arms, she could sense fear and uncertainly. He pressed something metal into her hand, sweat beading on his forehead.

"It's your choice, I don't want to rush you into anything, I mean, I know–" Skye silenced him with a finger, blushing slightly, 

"Don't fret, I'm ready."

-+- 

Skye collapsed onto the hotel bed laughing at a joke Aaron just made. She could tell he was trying to get rid of his anxiety, she could sense it _without_ reading his emotions. The hotel was nice, better than the one the Flock was staying at, but not too ritzy.  
Kind of cozy in her opinion.  
Aaron shut the door and sat beside her, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it on the floor. Skye leaned over and kissed him tenderly, willing him to relax. He did, and pulled Skye closer, deepening the kiss.  
_'I'm going to do this. He loves me, and I love him.'_   
_**'Idiot'**_   
Skye broke away, smiling as he pretended to whimper.  
"I…I want to show you something." His look gave her courage. She shrugged off her dress, much to his enjoyment. He reached out to her, but she shook her head, "Wait." She whispered tenderly, and looked down at the floor, suddenly shy.  
Ever so slowly, she stretched out her wings. Her snowy appendages brushed the sides of the room, they were too big for this small space. She heard him gasp, and she looked up slowly, "Do you like–?" She stopped.

Aaron was backed up against the headboard, face white with fear. Waves of horror and disgust rolled off of him, and she blanched. "What? No, they're beautiful, look at them!" She pleaded with him, but he didn't move.

"Get…away from me you _freak_." He gasped, fear lacing his vocals.

Skye stared at him, horror at what she had done welling up inside her. Tears streamed down her face. She felt betrayed. He had _loved_ her. He had wanted her _completely_, why else were they in this hotel room?! Hurt grasped her heart and squeezed unmercifully, willing her to collapse on that very spot. In a haze she pulled on her dress, ripping a hole in her haste. She pulled in her wings slightly, enough so that she could get through the door. Before she was through, she looked back at Aaron.  
_'Oh god please let this be some twisted joke…'_ But it wasn't. Aaron hadn't moved, features still twisted into a mask of reproach and horror. She breached his mind, only to find one word–  
_'FREAK'_

-+- 

The sky wept for her. She stood on the roof of the hotel building the Flock was staying at, not caring as the rain mingled with her tears.   
_'He loved me…'_   
_**'Not enough.'**_   
She heard the roof door slam shut. _'Must be Max.'_ But no, it was Fang. And judging by the hesitation in his step, he hadn't known she was here.

"Skye? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at Prom?" He spoke the last question with a hint of disgust. Skye sighed,

"Came home early." Her words came out thicker than she wanted them to, but it didn't matter. Fang had surely seen her red-rimed eyes and torn dress by now.

"…what happened?" Skye gave a short laugh.

"I could have had him Fang. I could have had him for _one night_, and then left it at that. Why did I have to fall in love with him? Why did he have to tell me he loved me too? God, he said he loved me, why did he give me up so easily? Just like Grey. Oh god, why am I so easy to give up?! Huh, Fang?! Tell me that." Skye's ranting gave way to a whole new batch of tears.

Fang was silent a moment, face in shadows,

"You are asking the wrong guy."

Skye looked at him in bewilderment, but then his lips were upon hers. They were greedy, comforting. But just as she was about to kiss back, he was gone, the roof door swinging shut behind him.

-+- 

Skye lay in bed that night, knowing she wouldn't be able to get to sleep.

She was a fool for showing Aaron her wings. He had made her feel…unclean, ugly, as if her wings were something to be hated. She could have had him if she had shut up--with her looks, she could have had anybody. 

She thought about this bitterly. Even _Fang_ wanted her for Christ's sake, but no.

She wanted some pale, blonde-haired human, who didn't want her back.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Pain**

She couldn't deal with it.

The pity in everyone's eyes, their..._kindness_. She couldn't bear it.  
It would have been better if Max had just said, "Told you so." She could have dealt with that. Anger was an easy thing to cope with, especially right now.

Heartache was about as much as she could bear.

-+- 

_Riiiiinnngggg! Riiinnnnngggg!!_   
Skye nearly jumped out of her skin.

Well, you would too if you had been innocently sitting on the 14th Street Bridge in D.C.--mourning quietly--when all the sudden your jeans started vibrating and making awful noises.

Skye shrieked, immediately covering her mouth for fear of being heard, and fished the Razr out of her pocket.

"...hello?"   
"Hey."   
"...Greg?" Against her intentions, her voice came out thick and wavering. He paused.  
"...you ok?"  
"Yeah, what's up?" she asked, trying to sound cheery.  
"...well...can you meet me somewhere? It's time to go back to The Institute." Skye's heart fluttered in fear, and then hope. _'Finally...someone to share everything with again...Arcane...'_   
"Yeah, name it."

\/ 

Greg didn't need to be a rocket scientist to see that Skye was in pain. He couldn't tell what kind--physical or mental?--but he _could_ tell.  
He didn't push her after the three times he asked though, if she wanted to talk about it, she would have already.

They congregated at the same place they had first met--the lonely clearing--and didn't talk much on the way to The Institute.  
When they had finally stopped for the night, Skye was shivering, lips blue. Greg wordlessly handed her his jacket, and immediately set to work building a fire.  
Dinner included hot dogs that Greg had picked up earlier, and sodas. Not much, but just enough to make the two teens sleepy. Both curled up near the fire on separate sides, still wary of one another, but not enough to stand the cold all alone.  
As the stars lit the night sky, Greg lay awake alone. Through the fire, he watched Skye sleep.  
New lines stood out on her forehead, and the bags under her eyes had a bruised purple-look to them. She wasn't sleeping well, if at all. Even in her slumber, her forehead was creased in pain, her body pulled inhumanly close together.

He wished he knew what made her suffer so.

_Skye heard the rustle of fur on skin, nose tingling with the scent of musk and antiseptic. A pitch-black wolf stood before her, mouth curling into an ivory smile. At it's feet was a pile of black feathers... __  
__...some stained with blood. __  
__The wolf growled, malice gleaming in its golden eyes. Skye's vision blurred, turning slightly purple. The wolf lunged, howling furiously. Her sight cleared then, giving her an unobstructed view of the wolf's purple-veined irises, before she could see nothing but blood._

Skye bolted upright, gasping for air and muffling her screams. Greg was by her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her, keeping her together as she sobbed her heart out into his shoulder. He rocked her in his lap, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back.  
After the sobbing subsided, he asked her again what was wrong, feeling a tad awkward and very wet.  
She shook her head,

"I can't without bursting into sobs again." At this she forced a laugh, "And I think your shirt's soaked enough. But I will tell you that I had a very disturbing dream, kind of like the one at The Institute." Greg checked himself quickly, masking his concern, 

"We'll get you checked out before you meet Arcane again ok?" Skye nodded, climbing off his lap and walking towards the forest nearby. 

"I need to blow my nose...and Greg?" Skye turned around mid-step, trying her best to smile,

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Reunited**

She looked just as Skye had remembered her.  
The ebon waterfall down her back, her violet eyes.  
Granted, her eyes were lighter, and her smile was perfect. Not the crooked half-grin that Skye was used to. Plus, her wings looked glossier, but that could have been the light.

All that didn't matter though, it was _her_ for god's sake.

And it was her voice--her beautiful, familiar voice--that brought tears to Skye's eyes. Skye hadn't realized just how much she had missed her best friend. Not until now. Not until Skye had felt Arcane's arms around her, felt her tears on her cheek--did she realize just what she was missing. The Flock couldn't make up for this.

They may have stopped the bleeding of her broken heart, but they hadn't mended it. They may have distracted her from the ocean of pain, but they hadn't dried it up.

So Skye wept in her best friend's embrace, for all she had lost, and her luck. No one else could have this. There were people out there who were still mourning for their loved ones. People who needed this more than anyone else.

So who was she to deserve this?

-+- 

"Max and The Flock are nice. They get by, even though they're on the run."   
"Hmm, they sound pretty cool. I really only spoke with Angel before I died. Mmmm, oh god, I miss tacos. Don't really get to eat much when you're 6 feet under." Arcane joked, downing her 4th coke. Skye looked away,  
"Don't talk about it like that." she said, pained at the memories threatening to resurface.  
"Like what?"  
"All nonchalant, it bothers me."  
"Sorry..." Arcane apologized, gripping Skye's hand comfortingly.  
"So...you remember everything?"  
"Yeah, they implanted my memories, but don't ask how, I have no idea." Arcane laughed, stuffing her face with her 10th taco.   
"Did they not feed you or something?" Skye laughed, handing her friend a napkin.  
"Haha, I've just had a **huge** appetite lately. Must be the whole re-born thing. I probably have an even _faster_ metabolism!" Skye smiled at that. Even _she_ couldn't eat 10 tacos in a row. "So, since I can't come along with you to meet back up with the Flock, what am I supposed to do?" Arcane asked.  
"You're to sit tight, Skye'll visit you often." Greg suddenly said, stepping out of the shadows.  
Arcane grinned wickedly,  
"A man of many words." Arcane leaned towards Skye, one hand cupping her mouth so that Greg couldn't read her lips, "I must say, that's one _hott_ Eraser. Why haven't you tapped that yet??" Skye reddened,  
"He's an _Eraser_, Arcane. Plus, I've hav--had someone else..." she trailed off, looking pained again. Arcane frowned,  
"Missy, don't you go remembering that son-of-a-...well, that idiot. If he couldn't appreciate you for who are, then he's not worth the tears." Arcane reached over to give her friend a half-hug, bringing her lips close her ear, "And ya know what? I think _I_ might just take a bite out of Greg if that's alright with you." Skye laughed.  
"Knock yourself out, girlfriend."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Revelations**

Their thoughts bombarded her as she stepped through the hotel door.  
_'No way...' __  
__'Oh my god!' __  
__Told them so...' __  
__'Where...?'_   
She gave a tentative smile, and with that, they were upon her [except Fang of course, five pairs of sinewy arms around her. She shook them off playfully, one-by-one, until only Max was left.

"I thought...never mind, what's important is that you're back." 

But Skye had heard what Max had refused to say:  
_'I thought you had committed suicide...'_

-+- 

Skye tidied up her room; she was dead tired, but too afraid to go to sleep. Her nightmarish dreams had persisted throughout the week, and had haunted her even in the daylight.  
Soft footfalls made her spin around, and give a jolt of surprise. Fang stood over her, his face a hair's breadth from hers. Her mind captured a picture in his, and she quickly turned away.

"Not here." Only his eyes betrayed the wound her words had caused. He left swiftly, intercepting Max, who was making her way in. Skye watched as Max's face contorted into a shy smile, the one she always seemed to do only when Fang was around. Skye motioned to her friend to sit on the bed, and then did so herself. For a long moment, Max remained quiet, her mind in chaos.

"Why did you leave? You scared the **crap** out of us." Skye looked away, afraid that Max would see through her lie.

"I...I needed to get away for a bit. Sometimes I need to. As much as you all mean to me...you're not Arcane." Max nodded,

"I understand...just next time...next time warn us, ok?" Skye nodded, and then frowned as she caught a random thought.  
_'Fang...'_   
It wasn't so much the thought that made bile rise in Skye's throat, but the feelings attached to it:  
Love   
Lust   
Confusion   
Skye cringed inwardly.  
This was going to be a problem... 


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Rejection **

Skye didn't love Fang. And she knew that Max did. She knew that if she let anything happen between herself and Fang, that it wouldn't be real. Well, it'd be real to him, but rebound to her.  
Plus, Max would be hurt, and then--after awhile--Fang would be too.  
So she couldn't let this happen.  
She sent a thought to him the next day, asking him to meet her on a night flight that evening. His eyes lit up as he received her message, but her were full of anxiety.  
This wasn't going to be fun.

-+- 

Skye tried to keep her features stony, she really did, but she lacked the self control. So when Fang joined her in a secluded clearing, her expression slipped. Fang could tell at that point that this wasn't going to be the night he had in mind.

"...what?" he asked, his voice flat.

"Fang...we can't...ugh. We can't be together, okay? It's not fair to Max, and it's not fair to you. You should be with someone who loves you, who wants to be with you forever." Fang's expression twisted slightly,

"You don't love me?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Then it's okay."

"No, it's not. I love you like a brother, nothing more. Besides, I just got kicked out of a relationship; I'm not ready for another." 

"What? So I'm not _good_ enough? I have to be 100 **human** for you to love me?" he spat, fists clenched,

"No, I--"

"Whatever, Skye, I don't want to be with a hypocrite anyways." He gave her a disgusted look, and took off, leaving Skye alone in the dark. 

"Well, _that_ didn't go as well as hoped."

\/ 

Greg received Skye's coordinates and wrote them down quickly, not making a single mistake. A mistake could cost you your life around here. He sighed and folded the piece of paper in half, setting it on the stainless steel bedside table.  
He lay back on his white cot and stared at the snow-colored walls, dreaming about his old room.  
His old room was chock-full of rebellion. His walls and ceiling were plastered with band posters, the gray painted wall beneath only showing in random patches. His bed was a mess of mismatched sheets and pillows.  
Here, there weren't any sheets to mix up, all were white.  
Random items of clothing were strewn across the floor in his old room, his human room.  
Now they were tucked neatly away in a stainless steel dresser.  
His human room had a beat up turn-table and stereo, along with an old Macintosh computer which had to be beaten in order to work right,   
His Institute room had only a state-of-the-art iMac and a pencil with a pad.  
How he would kill for his old room now, or even for one of his posters. But no, he--

His thoughts were interrupted by Arcane, who opened the door tentatively. 

"Can I come in?" Greg sat up quickly and nodded, aware of her bright eyes and scantily clad body. She had a black night gown on, that reached just past her knees.  
She sidled up to him and sat on his bed, a mischievous smile playing about her lips.

"What's up?" he asked, hoping to distract himself from the rising apprehension in his gut.

"I was bored." was all she said. He raised an eyebrow,

"Wh--" he was cut off as her lips encompassed his. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and she wrenched the surprised boy closer. Greg's eyes her wide with shock for a second, but then they fluttered closed as he let himself enjoy the moment. Arcane broke away, gasping for air, that twinkle of mischief still in her violet eyes. She moved to take off his shirt, but he grasped her hand.

"Uhm, Arcane...you're a cool girl and all, but...I barely know you..." Arcane grinned, not at all phased by his rejection,

"Hey, I'm hot, you're hot. What's the problem?"

"The problem is...it'd be awkward...let's just not, okay?" Greg's eyes pleaded with her.  
Arcane gave an over-exaggerated sigh,

"Oh fine. You win. Maybe next time!" she said playfully, giving him a peck on the cheek before flouncing out.  
Greg sat on his bed, momentarily frozen with astonishment.

"Weird."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Unwanted Introductions**

The morning started out eventful.

The Flock woke to a handful of Erasers standing over them(Thanks to Skye), salivating in their half-ling forms. Without a moment's hesitation, the Flock was on it's feet, fighting tooth and nail until they drove them out the door of the hotel (or window, in some cases), or knocked them unconscious.  
When other tenants arrived to check out the noise however, the Flock was gone; money on the table to pay for the room, the window wide open. 

-+- 

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!! PLEASE?!! I'm SO tired, and hungry, and tired...**PLEASE** CAN WE REST?!"  
"Hush, Nudge. We'll rest when we find a new city to hang in."  
"Max, we should be near Pittsburg, want to stop there?"  
"Good idea, Skye. About 10 more minutes of flying people!"  
Fang smiled cynically, "Cue the groans..."  
The kiddies complied.

-+- 

Ten hotdogs, five cheeseburgers, seven helpings of Biggie fries, and six drinks later, the Flock was full and resting in a family suite in a double tree hotel.

Thirty minutes later, everyone was at a local club. Angel manipulated the bouncer's mind, allowing them all access.

After all, who would look for them in a club they weren't even supposed to be at?

-+- 

The music was loud, and the kids were busy playing vintage PacMan and Pinball machines, leaving the older to rest in peace.

Iggy was telling everyone a story when she saw him out of the corner of her eye. He was dressed in grey-wash jeans and an old rocker tee, that looked as if it had been put through the wash too many times to count. His hair was different too. Instead of the plain, dirty blonde she was used to, he had dyed it a more natural brown. The tips, however, were what shocked her the most. They were bleach-blonde, almost the same color as her natural tow-head coloration. Despite the color change however, he still had those finger-in-socket-spikes that she recognized as his trademark. He caught her eye and motioned to a secluded corner of the club. She gave a small nod and quickly looked away, in case anybody decided to see where her attention was. She made a quick excuse about using the bathroom, and bolted, taking a roundabout path towards the corner indicated.

"What are you _doing_ here?!" She hissed at Greg as she sat down.

"I'm checking up on you. Were they suspicious when the Erasers showed?" 

"No, not at all..." she replied guiltily, bowing her head in shame. 

"Good. How are you?" He asked quietly, gently lifting her chin. 

"Fine...except for the fact that Fang wants me, and Max loves him...plus the fact that I never want to entrust another guy with my heart ever again kind of complicates things..."

Greg looked taken aback, "Is this why you were crying the other day?" 

Skye sighed heavily, running her fingers through her hair "Partially...along with the nightmare I had. Jeezus, the same one's been haunting me every night this past few weeks..."

It was then that Greg noticed the flatness of her eyes, and the darkness underneath them.

"Dreams, eh? Maybe a side-effect of the Gynodritaline..." He pondered. He glanced at Skye, only to find a blank look staring back at him. "The chemical they injected into you."

"Oh..." 

"I guess I'll report it when I get back. Tell me if--"

"HI SKYE! WHO IS _HE_!? HE'S PRETTY! Can I talk to him? Wow, I like your clothing mister, very nice and worn looking! Like how our clothes get after a couple days fl--" Skye clapped a hand over Nudge's mouth, giving her a warning look.

Greg looked freaked out, "Uhm...I--I have to go, bye Skye--" 

"NO! Come back and meet our family! I'll get Angel and meet you at our table ok, Skye?" But before Skye could object, Nudge was already gone.

"CRAP! No one's supposed to know about me. Oh my God, what am I going to do? I need to get out of here..."

"NOT, you're coming with me and we're meeting the Flock. Just shield your mind from Angel and you should be fine. If you run away, they'll get suspicious..." she explained, dragging him in the direction of the Flock's table.

"Hey Skye, who's that?" Max asked politely.

Skye smiled reassuringly, "This is just Greg, I met him when I _transferred_ to New York." She put special emphasis on 'transferred', to signify to the Flock that she in fact meant 'escapedfromthescaryInstituteandwaswanderingaroundthestreetsthoroughlylost'. "I just found him here on the way back from the bathroom! Greg, meet Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel. Ohmigosh I'm so glad you're here!" She squealed, hugging Greg tightly. As she broke away from the one-sided embrace, she saw anger flash in Fang's eyes. She forgot about it quickly as Max turned to Greg with a questioning stare,

"So what brings you to Pittsburg, Greg? It's a long way from home." Her tone was polite, but her eyes were guarded, as if she expected him to morph into an Eraser right before her eyes.

Which, you know, _could_ have happened, but they didn't know that.

Thank goodness Greg looked different compared to most Erasers.

"I...I, uhm..."

"He's going to college up here." Skye cut in, giving him a tiny glare. She could feel his arm grow warm from embarrassment where she had hooked hers, and she gave him a reassuring squeeze. She could lie well enough for the both of them.

"I...I have to be going. Campus closes its doors soon, and I forgot my key. Walk me out, Skye?"

She smiled politely, "Of course! Be right back guys."

"Bye!"   
"Nice meeting you!"  
"Maybe we'll see you later."  
"I LOVE YOUR OUTFIT! YOU'RE REALLY **HOT**!" 

Skye snickered at Nudge's frankness, and looked up to see Greg's cheeks pink with awkwardness.

They slipped outside, into the cool spring night.

"Thanks, sorry I'm not such an _amazing_ liar." Greg teased, flicking the arm that was still hooked around his.

"Haha, veeeerrrryyyy funny, mister. I can't help it if I outshine you in all the important things."

Greg stopped mid-step, pulling away from her. "No you did not..." 

"Yeah, I think I did." Skye grinned.

Greg grinned back, "Don't worry...one day, when you're not watching your back...I'll get you."

"Mmhmm, I'm sure. OH! And by the way, I love the new hair color...what made you change it?"

"Dunno, really. Needed a change, I guess."

"Yeah, I know how you feel."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Let Me Go**

_Greg was standing in a pool of light, staring down at his hands in shock. She stepped cautiously towards him, trying to see what he was holding. At her movement, he looked up, eyes wide with unsuppressed astonishment. It was then that she could see what he was holding; black, bloody feathers. She gasped, unable to pull her eyes away. __  
__'What did you do?' he asked, his voice echoing eerily around her, bouncing off of non-existent walls. __  
__'What did you do?' __  
__'you do?' __  
__'WHAT DID YOU–'_

Skye jack-knifed from her make-shift bed in the forest, stifling a scream.   
Fang sprang up nearby, but she turned away, refusing to respond to his concerned look.  
She felt smothered, claustrophobic near the sleeping Flock. She leapt into the air, her powerful white appendages lifting her without strain.  
She shot into the night sky, carelessly ripping through clouds in her haste to get away, to lose herself in the navy blanket that made up the heavens. She flew faster, stripping away the remnants of her nightmare, the wind whipping her face raw.  
She barely heard his wing beats, but she knew who pulled her down, down to earth; in both senses.

They landed in a small clearing, smaller than the one the Flock had made camp in. She turned to him,  
"Fang, what do you _want_?" she snapped angrily, upset that he had broken her reverie.

He responded by slamming her against a tree trunk.

She gasped for air, winded from the blow. He didn't give her time to breath however; he stole her remaining oxygen as he pressed his lips to hers.  
He filched his kisses hungrily…  
Achingly.   
Skye tried to pull back, but his teeth gently caught her bottom lip, capturing her mouth again with his.  
She pushed him off of her and slapped him hard across the face.

He spun away from her, holding his cheek, growling his disapproval. 

"**STOP** it!" she hissed, wiping her mouth angrily. "I don't want this, you KNOW that. I don't love you like that. Max does–" Skye cut herself short, cursing herself for letting the last part slip out. 

"I don't care about Max, I want you."

"Well, that's just too bad, now isn't it? Get away from me." She spat. His eyes blazed at her blatant rejection, and for a minute, she thought he was going to attack her.  
_'Well let him come…'_ she thought, shifting slightly into a fighting stance. At her action, his eyes lost their fire, his expression softened to its usual blankness. Without a word, he turned away, made a running start, and flew away towards the camp.

Once he was out of sight, Skye's body sagged. She hadn't realized until then what rejecting Fang might cost her. Angel adored Fang; if he was unhappy, so was she. And Max…? Well, Skye knew what would happen if Max found out about Fang liking Skye.

A twig snapped behind her, but she didn't turn around, what would it matter if it was an Eraser? She didn't even know where she would stand when she got back to camp.  
It was an Eraser, but a good one: Greg.  
She smiled sadly at him, and he immediately embraced her.

"You have NO idea how close I was to breaking his face. If he had attacked you–" 

Skye laughed bitterly, "He wouldn't have, and besides, I can take care of myself you know." Greg sighed in response, squeezing her tighter,

"Did you transmit yet?"  
"Nah, but I will before I go back."  
"You sound like you're not going back very soon."  
"I'm going to let Fang be for awhile…plus, I need to get rid of this nightmare, it was a new one."  
"New? What was it about?"  
"I…I don't know. I don't remember much."

That was a lie;

**She remembered every gruesome detail.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Hurt**

Fang was _pissed_. 

But he had an image to maintain, so when he touched down back at camp, he was all but composed. The only things that gave away his anger were the way he snapped his wings shut, and the slight clench of his jaw. 

How could she not want him?

He wasn't conceited, but he knew he was good-looking. He had been friendly enough to her, even slightly affectionate.

So what was the problem?

\/ 

**[Earlier...**

Max had been on watch when Skye had flown away. She had seen Fang hesitate, and then follow her.

Now, Max knew she had to stay and keep watch over the little ones and Iggy.  
She knew she had a job to do.  
She knew that she was the leader and that if she set a bad example, she would never live it down.  
She knew---Awww screw it.  
Max silently leapt into the sky after her two friends.

What was Fang doing?

She saw two shapes in the distance, falling.  
She gasped, what if there was something wrong?!  
Max flew faster, debating on whether she should use her hypersonic speed, but decided against it.  
Besides, she was already above the clearing where she saw her two flock-mates fall. She checked the ground and tree-tops for bodies, but found none. 'Well, that's a relief...' she thought, scanning the tree line for Skye and Fang.  
She saw them near a tree, and opened her mouth to call for them, to see if they were okay.

Her words stuck in her throat, however, as she peered closer.

They were _kissing_. 

Fang had Skye against a tree, in the middle of a full-on make-out. Skye teasingly moved away, but Fang pulled her back, resuming his work. 

Max kinda forgot to breathe.

She forced herself into hypersonic speed before she could see more. Tears streamed down her face. God. She was SO stupid. She had thought that maybe; just maybe, things had changed between her and Fang that day they had escaped Itex, as they shared a warm coke, laughing hysterically.  
But no, yet again, she was second best. First the Red-Haired Wonder, now _**Skye**_?!   
Oh God, Skye.  
Was this some sort of sick joke?! Max had made it pretty clear to Skye that she was in love with Fang. They had stayed up a couple nights before. talking about guys and could-be-crushes. Skye had even brought up the fact that Max and Fang would be a great couple! Sure, Max had said a bunch of things along the lines of , "yeah...right..." and such, but she had been beat-red.

She was betting Skye and Fang were laughing at her right now.

-+- 

When Max had calmed down a bit, she stopped to get her bearings. She was currently flying over a small town. Not many lights were on, save a McDonalds restaurant on the outskirts. She dropped down nearby the fast-food joint, and took out a few dollars. She ended up buying a McFlurry. Her stomach was empty, but images of Fang and Skye kept flashing repeatedly behind her eyes, making her feel like she needed an extremely large dose of Pepto Bismol.

She finished the McFlurry as she walked down the town's "Main Street", dropping the empty cup into one of the numerous trash cans. She shoved her hands in her pockets, and only then did she allow the flow of tears to begin again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20: Hurt**

Fang was _pissed_. 

But he had an image to maintain, so when he touched down back at camp, he was all but composed. The only things that gave away his anger were the way he snapped his wings shut, and the slight clench of his jaw. 

How could she not want him?

He wasn't conceited, but he knew he was good-looking. He had been friendly enough to her, even slightly affectionate.

So what was the problem?

\/ 

**[Earlier...**

Max had been on watch when Skye had flown away. She had seen Fang hesitate, and then follow her.

Now, Max knew she had to stay and keep watch over the little ones and Iggy.  
She knew she had a job to do.  
She knew that she was the leader and that if she set a bad example, she would never live it down.  
She knew---Awww screw it.  
Max silently leapt into the sky after her two friends.

What was Fang doing?

She saw two shapes in the distance, falling.  
She gasped, what if there was something wrong?!  
Max flew faster, debating on whether she should use her hypersonic speed, but decided against it.  
Besides, she was already above the clearing where she saw her two flock-mates fall. She checked the ground and tree-tops for bodies, but found none. 'Well, that's a relief...' she thought, scanning the tree line for Skye and Fang.  
She saw them near a tree, and opened her mouth to call for them, to see if they were okay.

Her words stuck in her throat, however, as she peered closer.

They were _kissing_. 

Fang had Skye against a tree, in the middle of a full-on make-out. Skye teasingly moved away, but Fang pulled her back, resuming his work. 

Max kinda forgot to breathe.

She forced herself into hypersonic speed before she could see more. Tears streamed down her face. God. She was SO stupid. She had thought that maybe; just maybe, things had changed between her and Fang that day they had escaped Itex, as they shared a warm coke, laughing hysterically.  
But no, yet again, she was second best. First the Red-Haired Wonder, now _**Skye**_?!   
Oh God, Skye.  
Was this some sort of sick joke?! Max had made it pretty clear to Skye that she was in love with Fang. They had stayed up a couple nights before. talking about guys and could-be-crushes. Skye had even brought up the fact that Max and Fang would be a great couple! Sure, Max had said a bunch of things along the lines of , "yeah...right..." and such, but she had been beat-red.

She was betting Skye and Fang were laughing at her right now.

-+- 

When Max had calmed down a bit, she stopped to get her bearings. She was currently flying over a small town. Not many lights were on, save a McDonalds restaurant on the outskirts. She dropped down nearby the fast-food joint, and took out a few dollars. She ended up buying a McFlurry. Her stomach was empty, but images of Fang and Skye kept flashing repeatedly behind her eyes, making her feel like she needed an extremely large dose of Pepto Bismol.

She finished the McFlurry as she walked down the town's "Main Street", dropping the empty cup into one of the numerous trash cans. She shoved her hands in her pockets, and only then did she allow the flow of tears to begin again.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: All Around Me**

Skye sat up, pausing to rub the sleep from her eyes. The sky was still black with nightfall, its stars glowing ominously.  
She stood stretching, careful not to wake the others, and tiptoed over to take over watch.  
Iggy was as still as a statue, but turned to face her as she approached. 

"Hey there, come to take over watch?" He asked, smiling tiredly. Skye began to nod, but caught herself,

"Yeah, that okay?"

"Of course!" He whispered, and flashed her a wry grin. She flashed one back, disappointed he couldn't see it.

She took his place in the crook of a tree branch about 10 feet off the ground, slowing her breathing and opening her eyes extra wide.

She stayed like that for only a short time before she began hearing them. 

It started with the snap of a twig breaking. Skye shifted her eyes as far as she could, rotating ever so slowly to take in more of her surroundings. She scoured the shadows for a couple minutes, and then concluded that it must have been some nocturnal animal.

But then the leaves crunched.

Skye jumped lightning fast out of the tree, screaming at the Flock to get away.  
The clearing erupted with gunshots, the spaces between the trees bright with flashes.  
The Flock sprang up at the sound of her voice, but only Angel managed to get into the air.  
Max and Fang both went down right away. Iggy threw Nugde into the air before going down himself. Gazzy jumped into the air, but fell to Earth also as a bullet ripped through his wing with a spurt of blood. Nudge screamed and reached for him as he fell, but was choked off as a red stain spread from her shoulder. She flapped once, and plummeted downward, lying still when she hit the ground.  
Skye screamed with shock as one by one the Flock fell before her, bloody and broken. Max stared at her, blood trickling from her mouth. 

"Save us..." she croaked, and went still. Skye gasped;

Max was dead, and so was everyone else.

But before she could think of anything else, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. She looked down in shock as blood soaked her shirt. As she fell to her knees, her world slowly went black.

Someone in all black attire approached her, holding Angel's limp body by her arm. The stranger threw her onto the pile of bodies that was once the Flock, and squatted near Skye, his gun hanging limply from his hands. 

"You've been terminated." He sneered, and aimed his gun for her head-- 

Skye bolted upright, choking back her scream. Sweat covered her body, and made her shiver as a cold wind blew through the clearing the Flock was camped in. She looked up at the sky; it was still velvety black, stars pricking through the--

Wait. 

This was all to familiar to her. Panic rose in her chest as she remembered the blood, the Flock dying around her.  
She forced it down, and quietly crawled over to Angel and the other younger members. She woke them, and signaled for them to U&A and wait for the others. They complied without protest, they knew better.   
She next crept over to Iggy, who was keeping watch.  
Just like in her dream.

He turned to her as she approached, "Hey there, come to take over watch?" He smiled tiredly. She held her finger to her lips, 

"Something bad's going to happen, I need you to wake Max and tell her we need to get out of here." Iggy nodded,

"You are going to tell me how you know this when we're far, far away from here." he threatened playfully, and slipped away to wake Max. Skye took a deep breath and crept over to Fang, touching his shoulder lightly to wake him. He opened his eyes, already alert.

"I heard; let's hurry." He said curtly, standing swiftly. Max, however, didn't comply so hurriedly.

"What the h-e-double-hockey sticks is going on, and why is Skye ordering everyone around? Who put her in charge?" Max seethed, giving everyone in the Flock a contemptuous look.

"Max, I can explain, but we need to get of here now."

"I don't like your tone of--"

"MAX _PLEASE_. Everyone in the Flock is going to die if we don't get out of here right this second!" Skye whispered fiercely, panic rising in her throat. Max gave her one last glare before she leapt into the sky, followed by Iggy and Fang, Skye taking up the rear.

"Ok, as long as we're very far up, we can stay here." Skye breathed, staring intently at the clearing below. She couldn't explain why she was so sure her nightmare was going to come true, but her panic was enough to stifle any questions the Flock planned on asking her for the time being.

The Flock hovered over the clearing for so long, Skye was beginning to doubt herself, and so was Max.

"Skye, I don't know what this is about, but I'm going back, this is stupid. We are wearing ourselves out like this, hovering in mid-air--" 

"Wait." Fang said quietly, staring at the clearing as intently as Skye was. Max looked down also, raking the dark with her hawk-like vision. She saw nothing, and was just about to protest when someone stepped out of the shadows. The person was clad all in black, night-vision goggles strapped onto its head. In its hands was a large rifle of some sort. The person looked all around the clearing, gun raised and ready. After doing a 360, the person made some sort of hand motion, and more people similarly clad raced out into the open. There must have been about 20; all rifled, all in black. They searched the abandoned clearing thoroughly, but only one cared to look up. It immediately called out to the others, raised its gun, and fired at the Flock.  
The Flock instantaneously scattered, the bullet whizzing through the place where Iggy had been an instant before.

"Flock! Zeebwaba!" Max yelled, and pelted away. The Flock split off in all directions, knowing to meet back at the designated place in half an hour.

Skye flew as fast as she could, trying to leave behind the questions that were hammering her brain.

"How did I **know**?"   
"What if they suspect me?"  
"How can I explain myself?"  
"How did that even _**happen**_???"


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Sooner or Later**

"Wait, so you're saying you _dreamt_ this?!" Fang asked, his tone incredulous.

"Well, no. I dreamt you all dying." Skye explained miserably. Max stepped closer to Skye, attitude replaced by sincere curiosity. At first she had been upset at Skye, as if Skye had somehow breached her authority, but now she was sobered, and Skye could see a hint of pity in Max's eyes.

"Skye, it seems to me that you can foresee the future."

-+- 

Skye landed in a clearing a ways away from the Flock. She needed time to think.  
And maybe a little comfort as well.  
She made sure she hadn't been followed, and dialed Greg's number. 

\/ 

He was there in 15 minutes.  
He came behind her, and covered her eyes teasingly, but she wasn't in the mood.

"Greg, stop. Something terrible has happened."

He immediately took his hands away, spinning her around to face him. It was then that he saw the red circles around her eyes, and the way she trembled. Without thinking twice, he gathered her up in a tight embrace. "Skye, what happened?" he asked gently, loosening his hold on her upper body so that she could face him.

"I…I was dreaming about taking over watch, and then all of the sudden, there were people with guns everywhere, shooting down the Flock. And then the dream ended with me getting shot too…oh God I was so horrible…" Skye blanched and started to tremble again. 

"Skye…listen to me." Greg smiled gently, "It was just a dream. You and the Flock are okay, alright? No worries."

"But that's just _it_! It **wasn't** just a dream. I started freaking out because it felt so real, so I got the Flock out of there. We were watching the clearing, and all of the sudden the people with guns were there! Max said she thinks I can 'foresee the future', but I don't know, maybe it was just a lucky coincidence? I mean, why would the Institute want to terminate us?" Skye finished, looking as bewildered as Greg did.

"I don't know... The Institute is obviously not telling me something…if those people were even from the Institute." He paused, looking down at her horrified expression. "So…you can foresee the future…does that include your other dreams?" Skye puzzled over that.

"I…I'm not sure. The other ones were so _cryptic_…this one was as clear as day." Greg looked at her, concern written all over his face.

"Maybe they were cryptic because that piece of future isn't yet set in stone."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Precious Illusions**

"What are you _talking_ about? Why are Max and the Flock set to be terminated?!" 

"Because they are obsolete, Greg." Violet answered coldly. Greg struggled to compose himself as he followed the woman-Eraser's brisk pace. 

"Does that include Skye?" he asked, features carefully devoid of emotion. Violet stopped, and turned to fix her icy gold gaze on Greg. Her look was searching, and he could see the sinister emotions behind it. Greg lifted his chin and gazed back defiantly. The pair stood there for a whole minute, staring. Greg's defiance broke however, when Violet's eyes narrowed in wicked glee, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smirk.

"It seems to me, Greggy-dear, that you've become attached to that piece of **filth**." 

Greg almost winced.

"I have not. She's part of my assignment, I need to know what the Institute has planned for her." He said coldly, mentally congratulating himself for his quick lying. Skye was rubbing off on him. Violet's smirk however, grew.

"You need know only what the Institute chooses to tell you." She told him condescendingly, "And don't worry about your little bird friend Skye, the Institute has other, better plans for her." Violet snickered and ruffled Greg's hair. He let out a snarl and jerked away, but she was already gone, leaving Greg furious.

\/ 

Max was on watch-duty.  
She didn't mind it really, the complaining was only a facade. Just because she appreciated the thinking time, didn't mean she wanted to get stuck with double-duty.

Skye was on her mind tonight.

She had found the Flock again a couple hours ago. She looked a lot calmer than she had when she'd left, which pleased Max.  
Really, it did.  
See, Max had decided a couple things while Skye was gone. For one, she had decided that she wasn't mad at the older girl anymore. Yes, the whole Fang-thing had felt like a knife in her back, but she had realized that it was genuinely not Skye's fault. Because really, the Flock was chock-full of hormone-crazed teenagers, Max being one of them.  
No, she hadn't forgotten the night Fang had kissed her, nor the aftermath. Max had been confused, and--now that she thought about it--by leaving Fang before he could kiss her again, she had really hurt him. Of course, he would never admit it, but he'd probably thought that she didn't like him like he did her.  
Well, he was wrong, and now he knew it.

While thinking all of this through, Max failed to notice the person sneaking up on her.

He acted fast, covering her mouth with one hand, spinning her around by pulling her arm behind her back, and pinned her against the tree she had been leaning on. She struggled, cursing her stupidity and the rough bark that scraped against her face. She could feel his breath on her neck. She panted with panic and desperation, but his breathing was calm and slow. He brought his mouth to her ear, his hair brushing her neck.

"Some watcher _you_ are." He whispered, and released her. Max spun around lightning-fast, balling up her fist. He ducked out of the way only seconds before she would have struck. Fang chuckled,

"I was _joking_, Max. Calm down." Max looked positively furious with him,  
"What in God's name was that for?" She whispered shrilly, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Fang smirked,

"I had to punish you for not keeping watch properly."

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO **THAT**!" Max practically scream-whispered at him. Fang kept his smirk in response.

"So what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Max answered quickly, turning away from him. "Go back to sleep and get out of my hair, Fang." She knew he wouldn't obey her, so she wasn't surprised when she heard him draw closer. She turned around, prepared to tell him off, but he beat her to it.

"No. I never want to be out of your hair again." he said quietly, and kissed her.

Max's body went limp at the contact. But that wasn't a problem apparently, Fang had one arm around her waist, supporting her, and the other was behind her neck, tilting her head upwards. She faltered for a second, utter surprise and disbelief clouded her thoughts.

_'Why? Why is he kissing me?! What about Skye...'_

At this she pulled away. "No..." she cried out faintly and moved away. _'What if the Flock saw...?'_

"No? But...I thought..." Fang, for the first time in Max's life, stood speechless. Max shook her head and beckoned him further into the forest.

"Tell me something, Fang, how is it you can move onto other girls so quickly?" Max said icily, afraid of what he would say. Afraid of being hurt...again. Fang looked away for a second, and then back at her, features almost completely blank,

"It's not like that." he told her quietly.  
Max's blood boiled at that.

"Then how is it that soon after I kiss you, you're lip-locking with the Lissa? OH! And then **you** kiss _me_, but a couple weeks later you're snogging Skye?! Choose someone, and stick with them, won't you? I don't appreciate being the rebound girl." Max spat, genuine hurt creeping into her voice. Fang's expression flickered for a moment, but was still again. He wouldn't give anything other than what he wanted to away.

"You kissed me on the beach because you thought I was dying, so I took it as that. Nothing more. Lissa kissed me first, and being the hormonal teenage boy I am, of coursed I kissed back. You kissed Sam back, so we're even on those terms. And two months ago...I realized..." he looked away again, "I kissed you because it felt right. My blood was screaming inside me, telling me to. So I did. But you...you flew off. You would have preferred to be alone than kiss me again. So I...I tried to move on. It seemed like a blessing when Skye came along. Just the person I needed in order to get over you. I thought I'd fallen in love with her...but I wasn't. I realize that now. I realized that...wow, this is going to sound cliché when I say it but...I've loved you all along. It was always you, Max, and it _will_ always be you." Fang finished, fixing his dark eyes on Max's brown ones. For a minute, Max was shocked into silence.

"I don't think I've _**ever**_ heard that many words come out of your mouth...eve--" He cut her off, using his own mouth to close hers. Max cursed inwardly as her knees buckled on their own accord. _'Why the hell does he make me feel like this?!'_ she thought desperately, and that's when the Voice made its signature appearance--at the worst possible time.

_**'Because you love him too, Max.'**_

She ignored the Voice, err-Jeb, she corrected herself. Yeah, maybe it was true, but it was continually getting hard to think as the kiss deepened. His tongue pressed against her lips, and she invited him in, not knowing what to expect.

He skittered expertly along her molars, but before she could properly adjust to this new experience, he pulled away. The pair gasped for breath, and Max's eyes searched Fang's, as they had the night he'd first kissed her. To her astonishment, she found a new light within them. _'He knows...'_ she thought, but she wanted...needed to say it anyway.

"I love you too, Fang."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: What I've Done**

Skye did a back flip.  
Her feet sliced through the air and hit an Eraser square in the face. His model-like features buckled as his nose broke, and blood spurted through his fingers. Unfortunately, this didn't stop him.  
He morphed and lunged at her, but she quickly side-stepped him and brought her foot down on his back. That did it.  
Skye looked up to see Max in combat with another Eraser. Max broke apart the man's fingers where they clutched at her throat, and swiftly dived through his legs. She nimbly whipped around and pulled back on his wings. Hard. He didn't have a chance. Before Skye could give her the thumbs up however, another Eraser tackled her.

"Squirm like you mean it!" Greg hissed as she went limp from shock. She quickly complied, miming trying to throw him off. "You need to send coordinates tonight, the Senior Scientists are angry that you haven't sent any for two nights. _Now punch me!_" he whispered fiercely. She did, but a little harder than she had intended. He rolled off her with a groan, cupping his mouth. "You didn't have to do it **that** hard! I'm pretty good at acting! Now pre-**TEND** to strangle me!" She swiftly straddled him and encircled his throat with her fingers, bending close so that her hair fell like a curtain around their faces. She smiled sheepishly at him,

"Sorry." 

"It's fine. But we need to talk about that dream of yours–TOO TIGHT!!" he gasped as Skye's fingers tightened involuntarily at the thought. She hastily loosened them again, and gave him an apologetic look. "But not tonight." Greg went on, "I've got other Institute business to take care of." Skye blinked in understanding.  
Without warning, Greg threw her off, and slipped into the woods unseen. Skye sputtered in indignation, but returned to the battle.

Five exhausting minutes later, all of the Erasers were either unconscious at their feet, or had fled into the surrounding woods.  
"U & A everyone, let's find something other than cold ground to sleep on."

-+- 

The Flock touched down near a deserted barn in the middle of a field. The barn was large and warm, and despite being abandoned, had a good supply of hay. Everyone was glad for this; late March was turning everything into a sodden mess.

After eating a mashed McDonald's hamburger, 3 hotdogs and water, Skye pretended to be asleep. Tonight, Nudge had her first watch since, by Max's standards, she was 'nearly old enough anyway.' In fact, Nudge's chosen birthday was next week. She would finally be 11. 

"Not that she hasn't acted like a pre-teen since the day we met her." Max had muttered to Skye, and gave her a wry grin. Skye grinned back, being on Max's good side again felt, well…good. 

When Skye could distinguish every member's snores, she slipped away, taking care not to draw Nudge's attention.  
Yeah, she could have lied to the younger girl and said she was going to the bathroom, but Skye wasn't up for a lengthy, one-sided conversation.   
So she slipped out of the broken hay door, and landed lightly on the ground.  
She listened for a moment for movement inside; any indication that someone had heard her. After hearing nothing, Skye set off towards a tall patch of grass, making sure not to step on any twigs. Once she reached her destination, she took out the transmitting button. She pressed the button, and spoke softly into it.

"Skye here. Sorry I haven't responded in two days. Oh God, _save_ me." She whispered, sarcasm dripping from her words. "Anyway, the Flock took out a couple of your Erasers, Erasers that were pretty lucky to find us considering you people don't know where we are. Despite that fact, we're now camping out in an old barn. Coordinates are as follows: 39.129 longitude, and -75.834 latitude. Out." Skye finished and sighed. She hated doing this. She knew however, that she owed the Institute, and she knew that they could easily kill Arcane if Skye didn't do what they wanted her to. She stowed the button in her bra, and stood up. She stretched her legs and turned around, only to stop dead.

Nudge stood before her, mouth open and eyes full of shock and fear.

"What have you _done?!"_


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Misery Business**

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!!!!" Nudge screamed, and tackled Skye. Skye was still in shock, and didn't move for a moment. Her mid shut down.  
_'Oh god…'_

Max and the rest of the Flock appeared in mere seconds to surround the two girls. Max yanked a hysterically crying Nudge off of Skye, and cast a bewildered glance to Fang. Angel gasped and stared at Skye in confusion.

"You…you gave the Institute coordinates?" she asked, her voice scared and shaky.

That's when the trouble started.

Fang took one look at Skye's guilty expression, and flipped out.  
He seized her by the throat, and lifted her into a standing position. Skye gasped for air and pulled at his fingers in vain. His eyes were cold as he squeezed lightly. His intention wasn't to kill, not yet.   
Max left Nudge and walked over to Fang. She stared at Skye's pleading features, and put a hand on Fang's shoulder. He responded immediately to her touch, releasing his choke hold on Skye, but swiftly capturing her arms. He wrenched them behind her back, seeming to relish in her gasp of pain. Max stared coldly at the older girl. 

"Is what Angel says true?" she asked, her words almost literally made of ice.

"Yes, but–" Max cut across Skye before she could finish.

"Are you working for the Institute?!" Max's anger increased as she said the accusation aloud.

"Yes. And also no." Skye said calmly, regaining her composure. "Let me explain myself. No–" she cut across Max before she could say a word, "I need to explain. The day I was supposed to meet back up with you, and Eraser approached me. He said…he told me the Institute could help me...they...they brought Arcane back, Max…they brought her back to me…" Skye's voice broke. Her vibrant green eyes pleaded with Max's chocolate ones.

"People who die are supposed to _stay_ dead, Skye. Just like Ari should have."

"No, they cloned her…and I had to do it, Max. I know they'll kill her if I don't do what I'm order–"

"We took you in Skye! We _saved_ you from that swarm of Erasers. We _cared_ for you, we became your **friends**…and this is how you repay us?! You work with the people we **hate**…the Institute and the School. We risked our _lives_ every time we fought those Erasers, and now you're telling me you basically told them where we _were?! _One of us could have died. ALL of us could have died!! I've seen all kinds of despicable people, but by far you are the worst. You _betrayed_ the only friends you hav–had."

"You don't understand!!" Skye yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I lost part of _myself_ when Arcane died. I lost part of my _soul_. You have NO idea what that's like. How alone you feel…how broken. You feel like you'll never be the same again. It would be like losing all of your Flock, Max. I had a gaping whole inside of me. You guys helped, yes. But you didn't heal it, you never could. And then he told me I could have it all back, if I told him where the Flock was every night. He saved me by bringing her back. She SAVED me!!" Skye sobbed.  
Angel was crying, her head buried in Gazzy's shoulder. His face was red from withheld rage, and he too had tear tracks. Nudge was still a wreck on the ground, but Iggy was as stony-faced as Fang.  
Max shook her head in disappointment,

"You are the most _selfish_ person I have ever met. Did you ever stop to think about all of the people you would be hurting?? And what about Dark? You know, that black falcon you told us about? What happened to her? Or did you just forget about her when Arcane popped back into your life?" 

Remembering Dark came as a blow to Skye. She had totally forgotten about the ebony falcon, the one who uncannily reminded her of Arcane. The last time Skye had seen Dark was…the day she signed up for the Institute…  
This must have shown on her face, for Max went on, her voice filled with contempt.

"All of those years in the Institute, and you're still naïve. What the Institute made when they cloned Arcane may look like your friend, even smell and act like her, but she is _not your friend_. Your friend died almost a year ago. I can guarantee you that they did something to her, or that something's wrong with her. The Institute doesn't make things the way you want them to be, they do it their way and come back to bite you in the ass later. I don't know what they told you, but it sure as h-e-double-toothpicks didn't end up like that. I'm sorry Skye, that you lost your friend," Max's voice softened as she spoke, "but that is no excuse for betraying us. Now, I want you gone. Get away from my Flock, and if I ever see your face again, I will make sure you never see again. Now go." Max said, her voice now barely above a whisper.  
Fang released Skye, but she didn't move. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Tears of shame, loss, guilt, and most of all, tears of pure sorrow.   
She had messed up big time. She knew she should have seen what Max had told her, but she had been blinded her love for Arcane. She tried to reach out, tried to express how sorry she was, but Max stopped her. 

"Get out now." She yelled, her voice cold again.

Skye gave a sob and turned to leave, but Fang caught her arm at the last second.

"No, Max. We can't let her leave. If she leaves, she could do even more damage than she already has.

We need to kill her."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Leave This In Pieces**

Max's expression didn't change, but Skye saw a small twitch in her jaw at the suggestion.

Skye was truly terrified at this point. Sure, she could probably keep Fang and Max at bay, but what if the others decided to join in? She'd be _toast_. 

"Fang, we don't kill people." Max replied calmly, to Skye's immense relief.

"Well, maybe we should make an exception. We can't let her go, and then sit around waiting for her to screw us over!"  
Skye protested at this, but Max cut her off.

"But we don't kill. Not intentionally. And as much as I wish to forget it, she was our friend."

"Then what do you suppose we do with her?" Fang asked, voice void of emotion. Max didn't answer right away, but stared at a point above Skye's head.  
After what seemed like hours, Max finally spoke.

"Angel, do you think you have the power to do a controlled mind wipe? As much as she deserves it, I'd rather not make her a vegetable." Angel nodded at this,

"I…I think I could. If I concentrated…" she sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Max nodded, and focused on Skye.

"Then I think we should do that. Angel, make her forget about the Flock, and…and her pain. That's merciful enough, don't you think, Skye?" Max wasn't looking for an answer, but Skye spoke anyway. 

"I'm **not** getting my mind wiped." She protested.

"I don't think you have a choice. I'm sorry, but Fang's right. I can't have you endangering my flock any more than you already have, whether it was intentional or not." Max's eyes were full of sympathy towards Skye, but she didn't take comfort in it. Instead, she quickly thought up a plan.

She needed to get away, fast, and as clean as she possibly could. Fang's grip was firm, but with some carefully aimed kicks, she would be able to break free. Max wasn't paying attention to her at the moment, she was going over details with Angel. Gazzy was staring into space, and Nudge was still sniffling on the ground. Iggy…she didn't know. He had a knack for being extremely attentive, but not appearing so. She made her decision.  
Skye threw her head back, and met bone. She wasn't surprised when Fang cried out in pain, but didn't loosen his hold. She was prepared for that. She quickly ducked under her left elbow, and spun to face him. His arms were crossed, and his nose was bleeding, but he still held on.

"I'm sorry for this, I really am. I'm sure Max won't be happy." She whispered, and kneed him where it hurts.  
He doubled over, and released her arms. Skye felt someone grab her shoulders–probably Max–and immediately flung herself backwards. Max landed on her back, and Skye landed on top, knocking the wind from Max.  
Two down.  
Angel appeared in front of Skye, her face set.

"You will stay still." She said, her voice monotonous. However, Skye was prepared for this also, and shook her head,

"I'm sorry, Angel, but I don't think I will." She rolled off of Max, and promptly turned invisible.  
Everyone but Iggy looked around wildly for her. But he, he stared with his sightless eyes at the exact spot in which she stood, and followed her every footstep. Oddly enough, he didn't move to detain her.  
She stood 10 feet away from the Flock, prepared to take off.

"I'm sorry, guys. I _am_ grateful for all you've done, and I'm sorry we have to depart this way." At the sound of her voice, both Max's and Fang's heads whipped around.

"You come back, and I will kill you, Max's permission or not! Same goes if I hear you've sold us out any more than you already have!" Fang yelled, apparently over the pain she had caused him. Skye felt fresh tears dampen her cheeks.

"I won't." she said in reply, but as she took off into the night, she wasn't sure if they even believed her.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Mkay, so, this is the farthest I've gotten in this story as of today. (: I hope you all like it so far, and maybe give me a review:D It would be much appreciated, I do love good constructive criticism. School starts for me in two days, so I might have the next chapter up by this weekend. Hopefully.

And by the way, if anyone needs to read the first book to understand some of this, please ask me. I'm not going to post it just yet, because I'm planning on revising it a bit...okay, a LOT. But if you really want to read what I have, just PM me and I'll give it to you! Thanks for reading:))

**Chapter 28: Well Enough Alone**

[[_Two Days Later._

Skye sat by Greg on the muddy ground, lost in thought. They had found each other only a few hours ago. Since then, neither of them had spoken; Greg knew when he wasn't permitted to ask questions. The fact that Skye occasionally made herself invisible beside him tipped him off. It was only after sharing a large Slim Jim that she offered an explanation.

"They found out." She whispered bluntly, staring into the small fire they had built.

Greg paused in his chewing; he'd known it would eventually come to this, but he hadn't thought it would be _this_ soon.

"What did they do?" He asked quietly, searching her face, he didn't want her to lie to him.

"I…they drove me out." Her face contorted in an odd way, she was leaving something out. She bent forward to poke the fire, trying to decide on whether she should continue. It was then that he noticed the bruising around her neck.

Something white-hot started to burn inside of him, right above his stomach. His lungs began to constrict, his breathing becoming shallow and quick in consequence. Skye glanced at him as she heard his change in breathing. His eyes were wild, filled with pure hate as he stared at her collarbone.

"Greg…? Are you okay?" she asked cautiously, backing away a little.

"Who. Did. That. To. You?" Greg choked out, involuntarily growing his Eraser claws and canines. Skye put a hand over her bruises, trying to shield them from his wild gaze. Doing this, however, seemed to anger him further. Fur started to sprout in tufts from his pores; he was losing control. Realizing this, he bent over, shutting his eyes and holding his head. Greg forced the murderous thoughts back as far as he could, but apparently not far enough. He heard Skye stand and back away slowly,

"I'm okay, Greg…I swear. Calm down…_please_…" she said quietly, struggling to keep the fear from her eyes and voice.

At the sound of her pleading, he remembered the bruising on her neck.

'**someone tried to hurt her…someone in the Flock…they must pay…'** whispered a part of him, the animal inside.

He couldn't hold back the mental tide of thought back any longer. A growl erupted from his throat as he fell to all fours. The change was coming. He emitted another snarl, but it took Skye a second to realize he had spoken.

"Tell me who hurt you! They'll DIE."

Greg's joints popped and shifted, his muscle expanded as his bones rearranged themselves. The change was swift and fluid, a thing of beauty, Skye thought.

If the thing wasn't about to attack her.

Greg wasn't like the Erasers Skye had seen before. He was more wolf than human when changed. However, he didn't look like a regular wolf. He was larger, with bigger paws and uneven legs. His forepaws were set on longer, more muscled legs than an average wolf, and his hind legs were a couple inches shorter. His head was bigger, with a shorter snout and smaller ears. His eyes were exactly like his human ones, except more golden. Muscles rippled across his back, everywhere was clean cut and lean, the body of a predator. His ungainly appearance was off-set by his fur color, however. He was a dark grey mostly, mottled with chocolate brown. The tip of his tail was a shocking blonde, much like the tips of his spikes.

Skye trembled with fear as she stared into his golden eyes, despite their shape, they looked anything but human at this moment.

The bared canines dripping with saliva didn't help.

She couldn't help it, she started to cry. She cried with large, gasping sobs that made her face splotchy and her nose run horribly.

Greg stood stock still with shock. It was at this moment that his humanity took over again.

He changed back into his human form. This time was painful for some reason, as if changing in the first place had been against his will.

But of course it had been his will, he always had control over when he would change.

Right?

He stood, hair matted with sweat and his whole body slick with it. He was breathing heavily, as if he had run miles and miles at his fastest lope.

Despite the fact that he was the cause of her tears, he grabbed Skye, and held her against him. She struggled, yelping with fear. He didn't let go, only held her tighter.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…oh God Skye, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened…" he whispered over and over in her ear. She stopped resisting at this, but kept crying, her cheek warm against his bare chest.

After awhile, she decided she had had enough. Skye forced her sobs to sniffles, and let go of his shoulders. She was about to place her hands by her sides, but decided against it not a moment too soon. Skye struggled not to look down as she pulled away from Greg slightly, clearing her throat.

"Uhm…are you going to put any clothes on? You're kind of…nude…" she said quietly. Greg's cheeks reddened slightly as he remembered the downside of morphing in full clothing.

What a mess.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry about the wait, school's AMAZINGLY hectic. D: I've already had to write three, yes, THREE essays, and I've only been in school for three weeks!!! Oh well, I'm sure you all are going through the same kind of thing. :P ANYWAYS, as always, PLEASE REVIEW.

And yeah, this chapter's kinda slow, but it's important. It's just kinda showing the changes everyone's going though, and the self-doubt/doubt in others…believe me, all will be revealed soon:) _Thankies and love to everyone who reads!!!_

**Chapter 29: Dance with the Devil**

[[_At The Institute, Next Day_

"I was as careful as possible." Skye intoned, bored with the conversation. She had been locked in the interrogation room for two hours now; it was starting to get monotonous.

"Are you sure you didn't let something slip?" Jeb asked coolly, never taking his eyes off of the teenager.

"I _told_ you before! I never told anyone **anything**, I was careful to shield my mind from Angel, I did it at night, stop asking the same damn questions! I was _not_ going behind the backs of The Institute!" she snapped, miffed that he was questioning her skill at secrecy; she had been born with the capabilities to be invisible for crissake!

"You must understand our unwillingness to believe you: you have gone behind the backs of your friends, who's to say you won't do it to everyone else in your life?" Jeb said calmly, his gaze flinty.

Skye felt like she had been slapped. _'He's right, who knows how far you will go for your own gain?'_

A part of her whispered malevolently. Skye's shame quickly dissolved into anger at this.

She smirked and mentally threw a ball of thought at Jeb. He had no thoughts, like Angel had said, but that didn't mean he couldn't be hurt by them. He doubled over, grasping his head as her torrent of thought invaded his mind. She stood up then, willing the lock on the door to open, and stepped out into the hall.

It was time to find Arcane.

\/

Greg watched this all from the room next door. Like most interrogation rooms, the one at The Institute had a one-way mirror on one wall. Unlike most interrogation rooms, however, this one was power-proof. Through extremely advanced technology, The Institute had come up with a piece of glass that could block telepathy, telekinesis, sensing, acid generation, self-detonation, x-ray vision, ESP, empathy, disintegration, phasing, and many other abilities.

In other words, Skye had no idea that he'd been watching this little implication.

She was getting stronger, now developing some telekinesis. Was it because of the chemical? She was already have dreams of the future, could this be another side effect?

His mouth was set in a grim line. He didn't like the amount of questions he was forming. And he didn't approve of the interrogation, it had been pretty clear to him that Skye was not setting The Institute up. And besides, even if she _were_ setting them up, she would have told him, right?

Or did he believe their friendship was stronger than it was?

Greg shook his head; he didn't want to think those things.

'_Jeb's right though. She has gone behind the backs of her friends. She didn't think they were important enough…she doesn't think __you're__ important enough…'_ a part of him whispered.

'**No. She's better than that, she's good. She was doing it for Arcane. Arcane was too young to die. She's good and The Institute is evil.'** He thought fiercely.

'_Then why did she just do that to Jeb? Why did she hurt him if she's so good inside?'_ the sinister part of him sneered.

'**Jeb was being horrible to her! He deserved it!'** he shot back, and shut down the train of thought.

He couldn't help but wonder if that sinister part of himself, was also the sensible part.

\/

Arcane brightened, Skye was coming. She dropped the Eraser that she was strangling; it wouldn't do for Skye to see that.

She quickly brushed herself off, and stepped out of the room. She began walking in the direction of Skye's thoughts.

'_It'll be like I was already walking in this direction…'_ she thought wickedly

'_Tsk, tsk,'_ she scolded herself, _'Lying is wrong, especially to your best friend'_.

'_And yet it's so easy…'_

"Arcane! I was just looking for you!" Skye grinned happily, bounding the rest of the way towards her sister-like best friend. They linked arms and continued down the hallway, Skye in full spill mode.

As Arcane listened, she couldn't help but feel jealous of Skye. She had been on all of these adventures, seen Greg naked (she had denied looking, but who could be in his presence and _**NOT**_ look??!), and flown freely. Arcane had been stuck in this God-forsaken place since she was created. Re-created? She didn't know. Her only pleasure was training time for the Erasers, where she could kick every single one of their butts without restraint. She wanted out. She _needed_ out.

And she knew just how to get out.

"Skye, come with me, we're gonna get me out of here for a day." Arcane smirked, un-ashamed that she had interrupted Skye. Skye flashed her a bewildered look,

"How are we going to do that?"

"Watch, and learn." Arcane burst through a door, the door to the "Head of Departments", as the label read. Without any hesitation, Arcane walked briskly over to the woman behind the desk, who was filing paperwork.

"Skye and I are going out for a bit, got it?" Arcane said icily, daring the woman to speak. However, she didn't seem at all phased by Arcane's tone.

"I'm sorry, Arcane, but you may not leave the facility." She responded in an equally icy quality. Arcane's eyes flashed brightly, and her arm lashed out, catching the woman by the throat. Arcane lifted the woman from her seat, and around the desk to face her.

The woman's eyes bulged as she gasped for air, her nails clawing at Arcane's grip.

"You are going to let me out for the day." Arcane intoned, her voice an octave deeper than normal. Energy crackled around her, her eyes burning a dark yellow. The woman's eyes glazed over, and she stopped struggling.

"I will let you out." The woman gasped, and went limp.

"Oh my God! Arcane!! Put her down!" Skye shrieked, moving forward to grab Arcane's hands. Arcane smirked and released her hold, letting the woman drop. Skye frantically checked the woman for signs that she was breathing.

She was, barely.

"WHAT THE HELL, ARCANE?!" Skye yelled, more from shock than anything else. Arcane stared innocently back, her eyes wide and yellow.

"She's fine, Skye, lighten up. We're free!" Arcane smiled, and blinked. Just like that, her eyes were purple again.

'_Maybe I had just imagined it…'_ Skye thought warily, as Arcane flounced out of the room, happy thoughts milling about her mind.

"Come on, Skye! I've only got a day!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Attack**

Skye lay in her Institute bed, thinking.

Arcane was next door, and Greg was on her other side. She was surrounded by the people she cared about, and yet she felt as unsafe as ever. She was still re-living the incident that morning.

'_Since when as Arcane been so cruel?!'_ she asked herself. Arcane had always been the strong, silent type. As much as that description has been overused, it was exactly what she was. She had always had power and strength, but she had only used it when absolutely necessary. Most of her fighting was with the mind anyway.

Now Arcane was more brute-force than anything. It was like Skye was now the mind-powerful one, and Arcane…well…Arcane wasn't swift and agile like Skye was. She was bulkier, and while still swifter than the average human, it was like her bones weren't as light as Skye's. Living in the Institute had changed Arcane.

That was it; the Institute was making Arcane tougher, that's all. The three square meals a day they served would account for Arcane's bulkiness; they never had such meals as experiments.

'_Sure she wasn't wrong from the start? The Institute said they would bring her back, they didn't say in what condition…'_ the malicious part of her whispered.

Skye squeezed her eyes shut. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

But what?

-+-

"How many _are_ there?" Skye asked, surveying the crowd before her.

"I think the last count was 15, but they trickle in by the minute." Greg replied.

"Where are they coming from?"

"Don't know, don't really care, we're here to train them, not question their origins, remember?"

"Some are so young though…"

"Believe me, they are just as strong as us." Greg assured her. Since Greg and Skye were stuck in the Institute for awhile, they had been given an assignment:

Train the new Erasers.

They had started off with 5 on their roster, from there, the group grew exponentially, and didn't show any sign of stopping.

"Alright, pair off! You! You're with me since we have an odd number." Skye barked, signaling to a dark-haired teen. Greg demonstrated to the newcomers the warm-up exercises, and they got started.

Skye blocked the boy's up-cut, and stepped to the side to avoid his kick. Both attempts by him were weak, but she didn't say anything; he only looked about 15 years old.

But then she saw the hesitation in his eyes. She reddened in anger and swiftly caught the fist of next punch. She twisted it around and behind his back, bringing her other arm around his neck.

"You really need to get over the stereotype that says girls are weak." She hissed in his ear, and shoved him away.

His surprise and fright brightened her mood a little.

His blows were much stronger after that.

\xxx/

"Scaring the kids again?" Greg joked after the trainees had gone inside. Skye smiled,

"You saw that?"

"Yeah I did! I better watch out, less I imply that you're weak." He teased.

"Woah woah woah, mister. You wanna go? Huh?" Skye retorted, bringing her hands up to chest level. She asked again, and got in his face. Greg laughed and gently pushed her away.

"Yeah, I wanna go, let's see what 'chu got!" The two circled each other, slightly bent forward, hands raised.

"Second blood," Skye said, "no killing blows, of course." Both smiled, and Greg lunged.

And Skye turned invisible.

"HEY! Unfair!" Greg shouted, but only Skye's disembodied cackle answered.

"Alright, you wanna play **that **game?" Greg muttered, and swiftly grew his Eraser ears and nose, using his heightened senses to try and find Skye.

His ears heard her quiet breathing a split-second before she reappeared on his right. He spun around and her fist shot out, catching him in the lip. Before she could pull back, however, he caught her fist, puncturing it with his newly-grown claw.

"First blood." They said simultaneously. Greg licked his lip and tasted copper, and Skye sucked on her wound.

They started to circle again.

As he had expected, Skye disappeared again. His hearing told him that she was going for his back. But before he could react, pain lanced through his brain, causing him to falter. Skye didn't seem to notice, and jumped on his back, placing her sharp nail on his jaw line.

"I'm going to get second blood!" she sang.

Greg put a hard to his head, trying to ease the pain.

"Yeah, you are." He said tightly, his eyes squeezed shut as the pain worsened.

"Aww! You upset cause you got beaten by a girl?" Skye teased, tweaking his furry ear. Greg fell to his knees as what felt like a fire raged in his skull.

"Skye, gerrof!" he said gruffly. Skye frowned, craning her neck so that she could see more of his face.

"What's wrong, Greg?" she asked, concern etched into her features.

"Skye…you've got to…errAAAHHHH!!!!" he snarled as fur rippled over his body and his muscles grew. The entire change was over in seconds, and Greg subconsciously knew he was no longer in control. Skye had fallen from his back, and lay next to him, paralyzed by fear. The Eraser turned to Skye, jaws dripping, eyes wild.

And attacked.

**A/N:** :D CLIFFIEEEEE!!! Sorry guys, but it had to be done. 

REVIEW PLEASE!!! 3


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: 9 Crimes**

Beep…beep…beep…

The steady rhythm woke Greg. He felt bruised all over, feverish. The air smelled of antiseptic, he was in the Institute. He felt the hard mattress of a hospital bed underneath his bare back. Why? He couldn't remember…

And then he did.

His eyes flew open, and he sat bolt upright, wincing as his sore muscles contracted.

Arcane was waiting for him, her eyes shadowed.

"What did you do to her?" she asked, her voice steely. Greg looked stricken,

"I…I'm not sure what happened…I just…I lost control…" Arcane's features hardened.

"You don't know…? You don't know how you managed to _mutilate_ my best friend?!" she screamed, eyes wide with fury. She sprang from her chair, her hands reaching for his throat. Her nails drew blood as they sank into his flesh, her thumbs poised over his windpipe.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't strangle you here and now for what you've done to Skye." She snarled, eyes as bright and as yellow as streetlamps. Greg stared up at Arcane, mind reeling.

"Is she okay?" he whispered, and the rhythmic beating of his heart sped up as panic overwhelmed him. What had he done to Skye?! Arcane's eyes burned brighter as his heartbeat accelerated. Her lips curled in disgust, "You don't care about her, you're using her, and therefore, you must die." She pressed on his windpipe abruptly, cutting off his air supply. Greg gagged and tried to tear her fingers away, but he was weakened. Black spots appeared in the corners of his vision, obscuring the walls of the room, and then the lights. He felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen as he struggled to breathe. Now he could only see Arcane's eyes, burning bright with hate. She smiled wickedly as Greg's eyes rolled back into his head. _'He deserves it'_,she thought to herself.

She would have killed him, except someone burst through the doors and dragged her off.

Greg felt the pressure on his trachea lift as Arcane was thrown off him. He coughed once, twice;

And blacked out.

-+-

Greg awoke again; half afraid Arcane was waiting for him, like before. She wasn't however, he was alone in the 9'x9' space. For this he was grateful; he felt like hell.

He sat up slowly, doing his best to ignore the muscles that were screaming in protest. He found a bottle of water on the table beside his bed, and drank over half of it gratefully. Greg sat, panting, cataloging his injuries. He was surprised to find only minor scratches on the outside to go along with the bruise on his neck. His muscles felt terrible, like they had been stretched to their limits and then released, so that they felt too bulky.

The door opened, and in stepped Seri, the girl who had watched over Skye after her injection. He smiled half-heartedly at her, and looked to the floor, filled with guilt.

"I found Arcane trying to kill you, she's in protective custody now until she calms down." Seri said gently, walking over to Greg's still form. She looked at the monitor and back at Greg, "You in a lot of pain?"

"I'm fine. Where's Skye? I need to see her."

"She's in the ICU, I'll show you. Can you walk alright?"

Greg responded to her question by standing confidently, pushing the pain he felt to the back of his mind. Seri led him down hall after hall, turn after turn. As they walked along, the stench of blood invaded Greg's senses, signaling their entrance into the Institute's ICU. Seri finally stopped in front of a door, but didn't open it.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she questioned, concern lacing her voice.

"Yes." Greg replied, and opened the door. Skye lay on a copy of Greg's bed, her vitals beeping in steady rhythms. He stepped inside, and closed the door. He would face his shame in private.

He walked over to her bedside slowly, drinking in her appearance. The sides of both arms were bandaged heavily, as was her neck. She had a tube down her throat to assist her breathing, and her hair was drawn to the side, away from a nasty cut near her ear. _'No, claw mark'_ he thought, _'your claw mark'._ Her eye was bruised, along with her knuckles_. 'She must have fought back...but I was too strong'._

"Oh God, Skye...I'm so sorry..." he whispered, the guilt overwhelming.

He fell to his knees, and gently took her hand, repeating his lament until he fell asleep.

-+-

Skye woke to voices above her bed. Least, that what she thought she was in, she WAS laying down.

"She's not going to wake up for awhile, she's gone into a coma." A nasally voice said.

"…God…I did this to her?" a familiar voice asked. Greg. He sounded anguished.

"No, it's her body's way of healing. There's a good chance she'll wake up within the next couple weeks, but…there's always the possibility…" the unknown voice trailed off sympathetically. Greg made a sound in the back of his throat.

"Please leave.' He said gruffly.

"As you wish, sir." Skye heard the patter of feet, and felt the small breeze the door made as it closed. She heard Greg sit on a chair, from the sound of it was a rolling chair, for it squeaked every time he sighed. She felt his finger trace her jaw line, and it left a line of tingles. She tried to pull away, but found she couldn't. She tried to move her hand, her finger, her nose. She was unsuccessful in every attempt. She couldn't even open her eyes, couldn't lick her lips to moisten them.

She was trapped in her own body.

* * *

Yay! Sorry I'm so inconsistent when it comes to putting up chapters….Dx

So, I hope you like! And sorry for another small cliffie, I promise the next chappy won't have one. 3 to all and R&R please!


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32:**** Be My Escape**

'Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…' Skye panicked inside her head, fighting back the urge to scream; which, of course, would have been utterly futile.

Greg had left a couple minutes earlier, bloodshot eyes and all, and now she was alone in her 9x9-foot white-washed room.

It was driving her insane.

The low hum of the medical equipment had become a roar in the empty room, the heart-monitor an ear-splitting shriek. The fact that Skye was forcefully left to her own thoughts wasn't helping.

Granted, she had a lot to think about, but it was mostly things she would rather not ponder at the moment.

Like, where were all these new Erasers coming from? Last time she checked, The Institute didn't advertise its existence to the world, or to anyone for that matter. How did all these troubled teenagers know where to go? And _why_ were they coming? The Institute was building an army of newly turned Erasers with raging hormones, but why? Who are they fighting?

And what was going on with Greg? This had been his second outburst. And the scary thing was, when she had looked into Greg's eyes…she hadn't seen Greg. What she saw was feral through and through; there had been no human in his eyes to speak of. It was strange. Maybe the new Erasers were wired incorrectly? Or maybe they were wired exactly how The Institute wanted them to be wired.

Oh God, now she was talking about Greg like he was Window's Vista when it first came out.

Greg. She would have to do something about him when she woke up.

**If** she ever woke up.

And Arcane. Something was _very_, very wrong with Arcane. She couldn't put her finger on it, but now that she had opened her eyes, she could see all the differences, however subtle they were. The way Arcane wore her hair, the certain slant of light in her eyes, the decisions she made…all were slightly off, like she was being forced to act in that manner. Like she wasn't comfortable in her own skin. Like she was dying to be someone else.

Or maybe she was just paranoid. It happens.

Either way, she had to figure out a way to get out of this coma.

\xxx/

Greg had thought it over for awhile now, and had come to a realization. He was dangerous. He couldn't always control himself, and while that was just fine according to The Institute, it wasn't for him, especially after what had happened.

"I'm leaving." He told Violet, who had stopped by his room to give him a new assignment.

"Funny!" she laughed lightly, and placed a file onto his white bed, "You start this assignment in the morning. It's pretty easy, just to give you a bit of a break after your…accident…" she snickered, like his outburst hadn't been an accident at all. Greg stifled his anger,

"I'm not going to be here in the morning." He said calmly, and continued to pack his backpack with what few belongings he had.

Violet, however, didn't let up. She made sure the door was closed, and sat on his bed, her smile condescending.

"And where, pray tell, will you go?"

"I dunno yet, probably out west."

"Ha. Back to where your daddy used to live?" she snickered, egging him on. Greg refused to answer however. "You can't leave this place, you have nowhere else to go. Besides, families stick together."

Greg paused, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and me, silly brother."

"I'm an only child." Greg retorted, and continued to pack. Violet put her hand over the opening of backpack and sighed,

"Wow, your naivety is killing me. Haven't you ever wondered why The Institute just _happened_ to be there in your time of need? Just _happened_ to have an idea on how to make you disappear? How to make the whole **case** disappear?"

"Coincidence."

"Coincidence my ass. The Institute knew when to come because they **planned** the whole incident. Haven't you ever wondered why you and I look so much alike? It's because we're twins; except I "died" at birth." Violet snickered, putting air quotes around "died". Greg stood still, processing the information. Violet did look a lot like him, the same hair color, the same nose, the same mouth…they could have been twins…

"But, I hav—had green eyes."

"So? You don't now. See, us? We're the new breed of Eraser: the first of our kind. The first experiments of our race. You, you were kept in a semi-normal environment, while I was taken to the Institute to be trained from the start."

"Normal?? My mom died when I was three years old, and my dad ever since then was an abusive drunk."

"Well, see…about that…The Institute didn't plan for what happened."

"…what are you talking about?"

Violet smirked, "You mother—_**our**_ mother, found out too much, and had to be…what's the term…oh yes, "taken out". They couldn't help the fact that father couldn't take mother's death. But I guess it all worked out anyways."

"'Worked out?' Sounds like my 'experiment' was a complete failure."

"Well, it was, until they activated your hormones on your 16th birthday…then everything went generally according to plan. Of course, they didn't think you would actually **kill** father, but it saved them the work of hiring a trained assassin so…"

Greg rounded on her, eyes bright, "You're lying. My mother walked out on me and my father for another man. I never had a twin, and I _wasn't_ part of some experiment set up by the Institute!" he snarled, throwing his bedside clock across the room.

Violet's smirk widened, "That's right, give in. Doesn't it feel so good? So…_**thrilling**_? Blood singing in your veins…" she stood up and traced a line from one of his shoulders to the other, her movements catlike. "Can't you feel the change rippling through your body? Doesn't the lack of control _exhilarate_ you? Give in Greg…just give in…don't fight it." She breathed in his ear as one of her own claws dug into his arm.

It was so tempting…just to let go…

But no. He couldn't, not after what had happened.

He shrugged Violet off, "Maybe we are twins, maybe we aren't, but I am NOT like you. I refuse to be." He said quietly, and picked up his stuff. Violet's rapture-like features contorted,

"You can't leave! I won't allow it!" she shrieked, golden eyes blazing. Greg turned towards her, and punched, quick as lightening.

"I wasn't going to give you the chance to stop me." He said, as Violet's body crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. Features calm and decided, he turned off the light and closed the door.

* * *

**A/N** :D Merry Christmas guys! And Happy Hanukkah to all you Jewish readers out there! (: I hope you guys like this chapter, no cliffie:D I hope to get another chapter up over winter break, but we'll see. 3 to all, read and review please! 


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Don't Leave Me This Way**

Skye concentrated. The Task? To wiggle her left pinky toe.

So far? She was failing.

She concentrated so hard, she thought she might burst, and yet…her toe didn't budge.

_'God, this is hopeless…'_ she cried, exhausted mentally from her struggles. She had tried at least ten times to move something, **anything**! But to no avail. She was trapped, possibly forever. _'One more time…'_ she thought, and proceeded to try again.

She was attempting to lift a finger when Greg quietly stepped in. All efforts immediately ceased as she took in his appearance. His shoulders were hunched, a sure sign that he was deep in thought. His forehead was creased; he was thinking about something troubling. He sat down on a fold-out chair beside her bed, and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. She sent out tendrils of thought, wondering what plagued him so. Pain emanated from him in waves. Pain so sharp her mental self gasped in shock. She felt as if she too was wounded. Images flashed in her mind. One of herself laughing, followed by one of her bruised and battered state, lying in the hospital bed. Another of Violet, and then one of an old man asleep in a recliner, a beer bottle in hand.

Greg gave an exasperated sigh, breaking her concentration. "I don't know why I'm even doing this…" he muttered, and stood abruptly, running a hand through his short blonde-brown hair. His hair wasn't in its usual electrified spikes, instead, it lay in short waves, almost covering his eyebrows. Once she got out of this coma, she'd have to tell him to wear it like that more often.

Greg paced back in forth for a bit, fighting indecision. Finally, he sat back down again, but he didn't take her hand as before. "Skye...I know you probably can't hear me and all…but, I need to get it out there…lay it on the table. And God knows I hope you don't remember this…I…I don't want you judging me on my past…" he trailed off, fighting the urge to run. He took a moment to calm himself before he went on, preparing himself as if she could react. "My mom left my dad and me when I was three years old. And my dad…he never really…accepted it. He would go to sleep every night, too drunk to stand, whispering, 'She'll be back…'. And he…he would…get angry with me. And one day, the day I turned 16 I…I got angry back. And I…" his voice broke, and he took a second to contain himself. "I killed him." He choked out the words, as if they cut his throat as they were uttered.

Skye balked. _'He what?!?!?'_ her thoughts scrambled as she tried to make sense of things. _'That must have been when his attacks began…but no, he wasn't an Eraser then…' _

As if he could hear her thoughts, Greg spoke again. "Turns out I've been this…**monster** all along." He spat, and Skye could feel his self-loathing. "And apparently Violet's my twin sister. And I was all part of this HUGE experiment for the entirety of my 16 years before I came here. In short, my whole fureakin' existence has been a lie." He said, frustration dripping from his words. He struggled to calm himself down again, tracing patterns on her hand as a distraction. It tickled, and Skye tried vainly to twitch her muscles, anything to make the sensation stop; it was sending her thoughts into a frenzy.

"And look now at what I've done. It's like a cycle. Everyone I care about, I end up _killing_." He said softly. "Not that you're dead, but you might as well be, considering the fact that you might never wake up…" his voice broke again, and Skye could see tears fighting their way to the lower lids of his eyes. She could almost hear them squeal in triumph as they descended down his cheeks.

He took her hand again, resting his forehead on it as he cried. Skye ached to comfort him, to tell him that she was okay, that she just couldn't move. That she could hear, and think, and see…though she didn't know how that last one was possible, considering her eyes were closed. She attempted to send a thought to him, telling him that she was semi-alive to say the least, but it didn't get through.

"I'm sorry, Skye. I'm sorry I hurt you so bad. Please…please don't die on me…you've been the best friend I've had in such a long time…please." He pleaded, his cheeks slick with his sorrow. "I can't do this again, if I'm to be this…way…I can't hurt anyone, I have to keep everyone safe. And if you wake up, I need you to be safe."

Skye could see where this was going, and didn't like it one bit. She tried harder to move some part of her body; no matter how small.

"I've got to leave."

_'__Nonono__, he said it!' _Skye yelped, concentrating harder, an ache slowly building below her stomach.

Greg wiped his tears away, grabbing a Kleenex to blow his nose.

Skye's struggles turned frantic, if she could move, maybe he would stay…

He threw the Kleenex away, and gathered his composure.

Skye snarled in frustration, her mind's eye screwed shut with the intensity of her concentration.

Greg squeezed her hand, and stood.

Skye's mental being rocked back and forth, tears streaming down her face.

He turned to leave, stopped, and then turned back. He leaned over, and kissed her forehead lightly.

Skye fought back the urge to scream. _'Don't go, don't go! __Don'tgo__don'tgodon'tgo__…'_

He rested his forehead against hers, allowing just one more tear to escape, where it landed on her cheek.

_'__Nonononononono__…'_

Greg sighed and stood up again, trying to take a mental picture of his only true friend in years.

_'Please…'_ she sobbed, desperately trying to reach him mentally.

He gave a weak smile, and turned towards the door, backpack in hand.

Skye gave into the pressure that had been building, and just as he reached the door, she let go.

_**'STTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!' **_she mentally screamed.

Greg paused at the door. Had he heard? She couldn't tell.

He seemed to shake himself, and kept on through the door, quietly closing it behind him.

If he had turned around, maybe he would have noticed the second tear on Skye's cheek, mingling with his own.

* * *

**A/N:** MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! AND HAPPY HANNUKAH AND ALL THAT. (: Hope you guys had fun over the holidays, and got many presents. ;D Read and review pleeeeaaassee! 


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Echo**

Skye felt hollow.

The only person who made her feel safe was gone.

Gone.

And she didn't know where he was. She couldn't pick up her cell phone and call him, because she was in that damn coma.

And so she let her mind wander, not caring where it went, and not bothering to shield it from what was around her.

Next door, a new Eraser was getting a head wound looked at; the white coat seemed to think it wasn't fatal, and yet the Eraser's energy was fading as he died a slow and painful death.

Farther down, two white coats radiated lust as they made room on the desk for their bodies.

Even farther away, the New-Breed Erasers were in combat training. A colorful array of feelings were emanating from this group. Fear, remorse, longing, guilt, and even hatred. She caught snippets of their thoughts, like butterflies that were just out of reach.

_'I miss mom…'_

_'He'd better not touch her while I'm gone…'_

_'Why'd I leave? I was so safe there…'_

_'I'm faster than all of these __dorks__, where'd they come from anyways? The pound...?'_

_'Take that you stupid Eraser. I won't let anybody hurt her like he did…he would be dead if not for his clever escape, clever he is alright; he'd be cleverly dead if I had my way…'_

_'I __wanna__ go home…'_

Now, those were odd thoughts coming from Erasers. Why would they want to go home if this was their home?

_'Greg is going to die…for what…done…he knows…can't let…may have escaped this time…easier…in the forest where he's camped…I'll do it…he won't hurt anyone again…'_

The last snippet of thought caught Skye's attention so fast, she almost got mental whiplash. She strained to hear, but the person was moving farther away; out of her range.

Someone was planning to hurt Greg, someone was planning to kill him! Skye strained harder to listen to the quickly fading train of thought. Pain lanced through her skull, but she continued to strain.

_'…in two days…he…__see__ me coming…'_

It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place the mental signature…

Another flash of pain made Skye wince.

_'…hate him…he's dangerous to her…'_

The pain became unbearable. Skye tried to stop. Tried to pull back.

But she couldn't.

She got lost.

_She was in a clearing; birds sang, flowers blossomed, light shone brightly against the greenery. _

_It was too bright; the colors too vivid. _

_Greg sat on the only seat in the clearing; a large silvery boulder. He didn't see her approach, didn't look up from what he was doing. He was shaving something, a piece of wood perhaps. A twig snapped, and he finally looked up at her._

_No, past her, there was something behind her. His eyes widened in surprise._

_'What are you doing here…? How did you—'_

_He was cut off as something hit him in the chest. His white t-shirt bloomed red from the point of impact, and he stared unseeing at his attacker. Skye tried to scream, tried to turn around, but the scene changed abruptly. _

_Images flashed past her eyes: a train station, four separate people getting jumped; bags over their heads and dragged away, The Institute on fire, a woman sobbing on TV, the new Erasers training, Arcane._

_It ended there; Arcane stood before her, clad in all black. Her smile was coy, inviting._

_And then it grew into a smirk, and then a grin. Her teeth elongated, her eyes flashed yellow…_

_And she sprung, claws flashing…__eyes hungry for blood._

"She's seizing!" yelled a nurse as she scrambled to restrain Skye. Her eyes were open, rolled back into her head as the heart monitor beeped frantically. Two other doctors rushed in, one carrying a popsicle stick, which he put in her mouth.

"Make sure she doesn't swallow her tongue!" he told a nurse, and handed her his end of the wooden stick. He started giving her CPR, to give her heart something to go off of, trying to regulate the beat. Skye convulsed uncontrollably, and then abruptly stopped. She lay still, not breathing, heart not beating. The doctor took his hands away in shock.

"Get the defibrillator!" he shouted once he came back to his senses. The nurses rushed to do so.

The doctor stood, dumbfounded, as the heart rate monitor's monotonous tone continued.

The nurses rushed over, the machine charged and ready for use. The doctor took the paddles, and prepared to shock Skye.

"Charged? Cl—"

Skye's eyes shot open as she bolted upright, gasping for air. The doctor was knocked backward from the force of it, and the two nurses scattered. One nurse fainted as she took in the sight.

Skye's hair was disheveled, and she was panting, her hands balled into fists around the fabric of her sheets. She looked around, and licked her parched lips.

And found fangs.

She threw herself from the bed, and almost fell over in the process. Her legs felt like jelly, but she used her wings to steady herself as she made her way over to the mirror.

Now she knew why the nurse had fainted.

Her lime green eyes didn't have the normal, black pupils in the center.

They were pure white.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Savin' Me**

Greg awoke, but didn't open his eyes. He simulated the deep breathing that symbolized sleep as he listened.

Breathe in: he smelled the damp soil beneath him, various forest wildlife, and the distant tang of metal; cars.

He didn't morph his Eraser ears, but even without them, he still had superb hearing; perks of the job…if you could call it that.

Listening: two birds were above him; twittering away, a squirrel munched on something not two feet away, a truck downshifted as it drove along the highway.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Greg opened his eyes then, and sat up slowly, surveying his surroundings. The squirrel skittered up a tree in alarm, to which Greg rolled his eyes.

"Stupid oblivious squirrels…" he grumbled, and stood up to stretch.

Three days. It had been three days since he had escaped from The Institute. And he wasn't planning on going back. Especially since if he did, he'd be shot. Stealing information from The Institute was severely frowned upon, and considering the sheaves of paper hiding in his backpack, the Director would probably be glaring daggers his way…if she knew where he was that is. Which she didn't. No one knew.

Greg pulled out the packets of paper, scanning them for information that jumped off the page. None of it really did, mostly because 90 of the writing was encrypted; binary code, useless to him. He came across the occasional picture, some of which he recognized as Erasers he had trained. All of the pictures were of the new breed. He looked closer at what was given beneath each picture. All had a name, but under "Place of Growth", all Greg saw were numbers. They were most likely lab facility identification numbers. He moved on. "Date of Birth" was interesting: all were made in and around the same year of his own birth; 1990. He even found one who had their birthday the day before himself; his name was Blayden. He vaguely remembered the rookie; he was smart, but had seemed troubled, as if he didn't fit into his own skin.

Greg finished rifling through the stack and frowned. Every single birthday was in the years 1989 and 1990. Greg went through the pile again, intent on figuring out more from the jumbles of numbers. He saw Violet's and paused. So she_ was_ his twin, she shared his birth date. He kept sifting, but a second later stopped dead on one sheet, studying the picture. This Eraser had the same birthday as Greg's also; February 3rd, 1990. Greg, curious, looked ay the Eraser's place of growth, and was surprised to find that the numbers seemed familiar to him. He took another look at the picture. The boy had dark, straight hair that almost covered his eyes. His eyes were a light shade of blue, lighter than Greg's were before he was modified. But that didn't mean much, everyone's eye color changed when they were Eraser-fied. Greg's eyes widened in horror as he started at the photograph of the solemn boy. The same nose, same broad forehead. And those numbers, they were coordinates. Coordinates that just happened to correspond with his home for 15 years.

This boy was his sibling.

Just like Violet.

Greg was a triplet.

And his other brother's name was Grey.

\xxx/

Skye raced down the hall, trying to find an easy exit. She managed to crash into two white coats before she thought of turning invisible.

She wove down the halls, one white-washed corridor after another. She passed dozens of people and Erasers, none of which acknowledged her presence. It was when she started to tire that she noticed the numbers.



They glowed faint orange above everyone's heads. So faintly that she had to strain to decipher them. All were different, and always changing. There were six sets of two, the set farthest to the right changed incredibly fast, while the ones immediately left changed at a slower, yet still quick pace. The ones farthest to the left didn't change at all.

And yet Skye watched as the numbers above one Eraser's head shifted entirely as he paused to talk to another Eraser. As soon as he stopped, the numbers above him altered significantly. A fight suddenly broke out between the two, and the Eraser who she had been watching was thrown to the ground, his head hitting the ceramic tiles with a sickening crack. Skye watched in horror as the faint orange numbers all reduced to zero, slowly flickering until they were there no more.

'_Oh god…'_ she thought, as blood oozed from the Eraser's fatal wound. The numbers above everyone's head, they told how much time they had left. When they would die.

She ran into the nearest office and barreled through the glass windows.

She had to find to Greg.

Sorry for the wait, and sorry it's not very long! I will get something better up, I swear, I just need to find time in between school and work and a bunch of other on the side crap. . Thanks to all who have kept reading, I appreciate it! 3 Read&Review please! (:


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Panic Prone**

Skye flew the hardest she'd ever flown.

She didn't know where she was going exactly, but she knew where she was headed. It was as if Greg's essence was pulling hers towards him.

She flapped harder.

\xxx/

Greg sat reading the documents over and over, engrossed. Maybe he would find something. He sifted through numbers he saw over and over, memorizing them, grouping them, mixing them around.

If only he could make sense of the encryptions. If only he had paid more attention to the computer-hacking geeks in his school.

"If only, if only, if _ONLY_!" He hissed in frustration. He dropped the papers onto the ground beside the rock he was sitting on, and put his head in his hands.

He wondered how Skye was doing. He missed her. Missed her smart-ass remarks, and her brilliant smile. He missed how he could be himself around her, and hated her for it.

Because he had been himself—a monster—she was in a coma.

\xxx/

Skye ran through the forest silently, her feet barely touching the ground, her wings pulled in tight so they wouldn't slow her down. She moved too fast for the wildlife to react, all they felt was a breeze as she sped past, for she was invisible to top it all off. She changed course slightly, following Greg's trail.

Skye saw the trees begin to thin, and slowed slightly.

She stopped at the edge of the clearing, catching her breath.

There he was, sitting on a boulder that if was moved left about a foot, would be smack-dab in the middle of the clearing. He was pouring intently over a ream of papers, his brow furrowed in concentration, eyes squinting slightly in the brightness. The wildlife here was quiet, almost non-existent because of his presence.

Which was understandable, considering the fact that he smelled like a wolf.

'_A wolf, a predator…dangerous…'_

Skye squinted, trying to make out the faint orange numbers above Greg's head.

There were a lot of numbers, which instantly relieved her, and they were ticking by relatively slowly. Skye smiled and slowed her molecules, stepping into the clearing plainly visible. Greg looked up, and she could almost hear his heart stop. Confusion and fear and relief and guilt clouded his eyes.

'_I must be hallucinating…_' she heard him think. Her mouth twitched at that.

"You're not hallucinating." She assured him.

"What are you doing here? How did you—"

It was then that she heard the almost inaudible click. Greg's head turned right, in the direction from which the sound came. But Skye's eyes were focused on the numbers above Greg's head. They had changed at the sound, and were now rapidly decreasing.

_**5, 4, 3…**_

Skye acted without thinking, pushing Greg down as the gunshot sounded. As the pair hit the ground, Skye turned invisible. Before Greg's mind could register what had happened, Skye was off him and flying through the woods.

Almost literally.

She found the attacker within seconds of the first shot. The female Eraser's eye widened as Skye tackled her, reappearing. The gun went flying out of the woman's hand and into the undergrowth.

Skye pinned the Eraser, the picture of fury with her wild blonde hair, fangs, and white pupils. Her teeth were bared as she pushed her thumbs into the Eraser's throat slightly.

"Who put you up to this?" She snarled.

The woman-Eraser was defiantly silent, but her golden eyes betrayed her terror. Skye pressed harder on the Eraser's larynx. The woman gasped for air, eyes bulging.

But before Skye could ask again, the Eraser-woman's arm snaked up and pierced her own throat with a needle that had been hidden in her palm. Skye paused, confused.

The Eraser smiled triumphantly before going limp—dead.

Skye bent close to the needle protruding from the Eraser's neck. A clear liquid coated the implement. Poison.

Skye's nose wrinkled in disgust as she got up, returning to the clearing.

Greg was sitting where she had left him, on the ground by the boulder. The back of his head was bleeding—he had hit a rock when she had pushed him—but was otherwise fine. He looked dazed as he looked her over, his thoughts disbelieving.

"You wing is bleeding."

Skye looked at her snowy appendages. The tip of her right was oozing red. The bullet meant for Greg's heart must have grazed her.

When she looked up again, Greg was only a couple inches away from her.

She hadn't even heard him get up.

He still had that dazed look as he reached for her, tentative. His fingers brushed her jaw line lightly, assuring himself that she was real. Skye's breath caught at the tenderness of his touch. She saw the tears in his eyes only a second before he pulled her towards him, hugging her fiercely. She hugged him with equal force, tears flowing.

She didn't know what she would have done if she had lost him.

**A/N:** I thought this was a good way to end this chapter, since I won't be writing for a long time. –teartear- this is mostly because of AP Exams! (yay!not). So, I was nice and didn't leave you with a cliffie, I'm saving it for the beginning of the next chapter (so it won't be a cliffie after all…-sigh-) So, I hope you all enjoy this measly scrap of writing, thanks for reading!! 3 R&R please!


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: Slowburn**

The Eraser glided towards the body of her assassin, nudging the cold, lifeless Eraser with the toe of her boot. She snorted in disgust; did she need to do everything herself?

The Eraser bent down, placing two fingers on the dead girl's forehead. Extracting memories wasn't that hard, The Institute had taught her well.

The scenes flashed behind her closed eyelids, and she cursed the sight of them. She had assumed correctly, her assassin had failed to eliminate Greg.

She stood again, eyes flashing in annoyance as she located the gun in the undergrowth. Skye had interfered; she hadn't been expecting that,

The Eraser expertly disabled the gun and put it in her jacket pocket.

This was going to be harder than she thought.

\xxx/

Skye gasped as she awoke, shaking with suppressed screams. She was drenched in a cold sweat that was quickly drying in the soft night breeze. Leaves rustled behind her, and a hand was gently laid upon her shoulder, making her jump. The hand squeezed lightly,

"You okay?" Greg asked quietly. Skye shivered again and he pulled her into a hug from behind. "Bad dream? Vision?"

"I don't know. Not a dream, definitely not. It felt like a vision, but I wasn't _in_ it, like I usually am. I felt more like a bug on a tree, observing the action and knowing what everyone is thinking, but not taking part…it was so odd…it's never happened before…" Skye shuddered, and burrowed deeper into Greg's comforting embrace. He stroked her hair slowly until her shuddering stopped, and her breathing was slow and deep.

Asleep, Skye looked so different to him. The creases on her forehead that were almost always present nowadays were gone, her mouth slightly open, but not gaping. She looked peaceful, as most people do when they are asleep, but Skye had a seraphic touch to her peace. It wasn't the snowy wings she bore—though they certainly would have contributed to the human image of an angel—but her posture. She wasn't curled into a ball, which would suggest insecurity and fear, despite what had happened to her throughout her life. No, she was stretched languidly over him, suggesting comfort and a feeling of security. Despite all she had been through, with the experiments, Arcane's death, and even her own near-death experience by his hands, she still felt safe in his arms. Greg shook his head sadly. She was a fool to trust in him, he could protect her, but he could kill her just as easily; he had almost succeeded. A fool, but she was his fool; his first real friend since he had been changed. He hadn't realized just how lonely he had been. Wolves were pack animals, and while he was not fully wolf, he had enough genes in common with a wolf that the pack mentality existed within him. The need to be with his own kind was overpowering, and while Skye was not his kind in species, she was so much like him in other ways. Both were alone in this world. Not even the carbon copy of Arcane could fill the emptiness in Skye, he could sense that. He didn't know if he could fill that chasm himself, but he would damn well try his hardest.

As for hurting her? He didn't know if he would lose control again. He could hope and pray, but he couldn't promise never to hurt her again.

We could damn well try though.

With an exception that he was sure of, however. The exception? They needed to go back to The Institute. The reason? Well, he wasn't very clear on the details, but something was amiss; it was obvious in the records he had stolen. The fact that all of the trainees documented were born in and around the same year Greg was just a tad too convenient. And the shear number of them. Greg had trained more each day as the numbers multiplied. There had always been many Erasers, but they had been at The Institute all their lives; pumped with growth hormones to speed up the aging process. The new trainees had seemed to come about like Greg had; as runaways who had signed up to be changed. It just didn't make sense; The Institute had never done anything like this as far as he knew, not in such quantities.

So what was going on?

And while he didn't want to hurt Skye, he needed her for this, to help him gather information.

On the other hand, he really _didn't_ want to take her, because he didn't want her going back to Arcane. Because while Skye would never admit it, there was also something very wrong with the clone. He couldn't put his finger on it, yet, but he would find out. He just didn't know if Skye could handle the truth, whatever it was.

Ah, what a mess.

He'd tell her tomorrow what the plan was.



He just had to think of one first.

-+-

"That's INSANE!" Skye shrieked after Greg was done explaining the game plan.

"It's not _insane_…maybe a tad risky, but not insane…" Greg mumbled defensively.

"Yes. It. Is. If you go back to The Institute, you'll be killed on the spot! They frown upon unscheduled leave, not to mention the **stealing of top secret **_**documents!!**_" Skye shouted the last five words. A number of birds in nearby trees took flight.

"Skye, calm down, nothing's going to happen—"

"Why? Why do we need to go back?"

"Because something's going on at The Institute, even you have to admit that. All those new generation Erasers? Why are they all showing up _now_? And from where? What's The Institute up to—"

"Why does it even matter?!"

"Because it's our duty to—"

"No, it's not. We have no duties that in any way, shape, or form involve The Institute. They ruined our lives. We owe them nothing." Skye spat, "We don't need to go back, we can run away. You and me, and meet up with The Flock and Max. I'll make up with them somehow, I dunno how yet…" Skye pleaded, but Greg put a finger to her lips to silence her babble. He smiled solemnly and pulled her into a hug.

"We'll be fine. Trust me. Besides, with your invisibility, you at least should be safe. And I'm strong enough to hold my own. Don't worry, okay?" Greg grinned and kissed her forehead lightly.

"Yeah, but what about bullets? You're not indestructible!" Skye blurted. Greg snickered at that,

"Actually, I'm pretty close to bullet-proof, if I morph that is. The outer layer of my fur is stronger than a wolf's; it significantly slows down a bullet, therefore only giving me a shallow wound. It makes taking bullets out much easier." Skye winced,

"Tasers?"

"I can withstand up to 125,023 volts without being incapacitated, though, to tell you the truth, after about 115,000 volts, it's hard the think…" Skye gaped at him in horror, to which he smiled darkly, "You aren't the only one here who's been experimented on."

Skye held him tighter, resting her head on his shoulder, "All right, we'll do it, but if you die…so help me, I'll bring you back to life just to kill you again myself…" She whispered into his neck. Greg chuckled at that and lifted her chin so that he could look at her face,

"Promise that?" he asked, eyes twinkling in the morning sun.

"Promise."

**A/N: Hey all, thanks for reading this next chappie. (: Sorry it's been so long! Summer vacation is busier than I expected it to be. Though, the next chapter should be up soon, I've already written it, I just need to type it up. :P Anyways, please review! I hope you all are having a great summer!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: Burnin' Up**

"All right, the sewer system I saw in Max's head is in the insertdirectionhere part of the city…and to answer your question, you're right. It may be a dead end, but it's worth a shot." Skye murmured to Greg as they walked through Times Square, dodging crazy cab drivers.

Greg sighed, "I keep forgetting you read minds. Why do I even bother talking aloud anymore?" he said wryly, glancing at her sideways and grinning. Skye met his gaze and the looked ahead, a smug smile playing across her lips,

"Because you like the sound of your own voice."

"Oh, ouch. That hurt my pride; wounded me real deep." Greg snickered and punched her arm lightly. Skye was wearing a non-descript, black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up as an extra precaution. She had to agree with Greg, her hair stood out.

Greg had dyed his hair a dark chocolate brown, much like the shade of Max's natural color. He had also left it down, combing it straight out of its natural waves. The actions were simple, but the effect was tremendous; Skye was still doing double takes, and it had been at least three hours since they had set out.

Skye stopped and mock scrutinized Greg and his ensemble,

"You know, if you got a lip ring, wore skinny black jeans, and tight-fitting band T-Shirts, you could make a great emo kid…" Skye smiled to herself and started walking again, pop culture was so easy to keep up with when you could read minds.

Greg punched her arm again, harder this time.

Skye snickered.

-+-

They were three blocks from the Institute when they ran into trouble. Skye spotted the model-like men at the same time Greg heard them. Instantly Greg's hand was around her wrist as he pulled her into the nearest alley.

"Pretend we're making out." He hissed quietly, leaning against the wall and pulling her towards him. He rested his hands around her waist, his didn't need to lean down, they were close enough in height that all he had to do was tilt his head to make the scene look realistic. Skye rested her cheek lightly on his at a slight angle in the opposite direction, effectively hiding both their faces. She listened intently to the Erasers' thoughts. Luckily, the pack didn't give the two the slightest of glances, too focused on the café two blocks up. Once the pack was safely a block away Skye and Greg set out once again, more wary than ever.

"This is it, I'm pretty sure, there should be a—" Skye stopped in mid-whisper. An Eraser gang had just stepped out of a store right next to the alleyway. Skye yanked Greg into the shadows and they assumed the position they had earlier. Skye listened attentively to the Erasers' thoughts once again. None of the gang had seen them—no, one had. Skye saw a picture of them in the Eraser's mind's eye as he glanced their way. She sighed in relief as he looked away, but gasped as he did a double take.

'_**Those teens…they're in THE alley…what are they…?'**_

Skye panicked, they didn't look realistic enough, and the one Eraser was now moving towards them, the gang in tow. She felt suspicion roll off the wolf-men in waves, as the silently crept closer. Skye swore in her mind and did the only thing she could think of.

She pressed her lips to Greg's.

Greg stiffened in surprise as Skye's lips moved against his.

'_Shit! This isn't going to work!!'_ Skye screamed mentally as pictures of the Eraser gang tearing them to pieces came to mind.

But then Greg relaxed, angling his head and tentatively sliding his hands down to Skye's hips. Skye's thoughts went hazy for a second as sparks traveled down her spine. She struggled to divide her concentration. The Eraser gang was still advancing, still suspicious. This sent Skye into a panicked frenzy once again as she tried to come up with a solution.

And then it hit her hard; more realistic.



Skye ran the tip of her tongue lightly over Greg's lips, asking permission. Greg complied, and Skye shyly began to explore the roof of his mouth, lightly running her fingers through his hair. She tried hard not to blush at the live video streaming through the Erasers' heads; it sure looked realistic enough. But was she doing this right? All of the times she had made out with Grey (just thinking about Grey made her stomach roll), he had pretty much done all the work. Now she was going by memory_—'no, stop, listen to the Eraser's thoughts.'_ She reminded herself, and concentrated. The Eraser gang had passed, suspicion gone.

'_**Stupid teenagers, all the care about nowadays is sex, drugs, and money; they're no threat to us.'**_

Skye caught the lead Eraser's last thought pertaining to them before he moved onto hand-to-hand combat routines.

Skye made sure the Eraser gang was a few hundred feet away, and that none else were coming before focusing on what was right in front of her. Now that the threat was gone, she should stop this, it was wrong to keep this up—

Greg pulled back slightly, grazing her bottom lip with his teeth. When he kissed her again, Greg's tongue lazily traced circles over and around Skye's. Her thoughts got so muddled, Skye wondered if she had passed out.

'_What was I thinking…? Oh yeah…wrong…this is…wrong…I should stop…shouldn't…no! Should…' _Skye's thoughts were thoroughly jumbled as Greg worked.

Greg was her best friend, like a brother to her.

Except kissing him didn't bring a brother to mind at all.

That thought finally did the trick. Skye opened her eyes and pulled away gently, quickly ducking her head before Greg could open his eyes and see the blush creeping onto her cheeks. She moved away from him (to which her body protested most vehemently), and moved rapidly down the alley. In silence she opened the sewer grate and set it aside.

"Ladies first." Greg murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Skye's face burned.

She was really going to regret this.

**A/N: There you go guys, juicy enough for ya? xD Well anyways, I'm off to camp for the next two weeks, so, I hope to write a few more chapters during the down time we have. (: Love you guys, thanks for reading! R&R please!**


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